BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
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MAMMALS
OF
MARYLAND
FAUNA
NUMBER 66
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE
JCCIDENTAI COLU^
iji.,1
.jkARY
vC- ^'^'r'^\ ■ y
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA
This publication series includes monographs and other reports of scientific in-
vestigations relating to birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, for professional
readers. It is a continuation by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife of the
series begun in 1889 by the Division of Ornithology and Manunalogy (Department
of Agriculture) and continued by succeeding bureaus — Biological Survey and Fish
and Wildlife Service. The Bureau distributes these reports to official agencies, to
libraries, and to researchers in fields related to the Bureau's work; additional
copies may usually be purchased from the Division of Public Documents, U.S.
Grovemment Printing Office.
Reports in North American Fauna since 1950 are as follows (an asterisk indi-
cates that sale stock is exhausted ) :
•60. Raccoons of North and Middle America, by Edward A. Goldman. 1950. 153 p.
*61. Fauna of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula, by Olaus J. Murie;
Invertebrates and Fishes Collected in the Aleutians, 1936-38, by Victor B.
SchefFer. 1959. 406 p.
*62. Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia, by Robert E. Stewart and
Chandlers. Robbins. 1958. 401 p.
*63. The Trumpeter Swan; Its history, habits, and population in the United
States, by Winston E. Banko. 1960. 214 p.
*64. Pelage and Surface Topography of the Northern Fur Seal, by Victor B.
ScheflFer. 1961. 206 p.
65. Seven New White-winged Doves From Mexico, Central America, and South-
western United States, by George B. Saunders. 1968. 30 p.
MAMMALS
OF
MARYLAND
By
John L. Paradiso
NUMBER 66
""'"™**NT DMUMEKTS ilEPARTWf MT !
) MAR 3 1 2000
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Walter J. Hickel, Secretary
BUKEAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE
John S. Gottsohalk, Director
North American Fauna, Number 66
Published hy
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife
April 1969
United States Government Printing Office • Washington • 1969
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing OflSce
Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $1
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 1
Location and area of Maryland 2
Temperature 3
Average annual precipitation 3
Effects of civilization 4
Principal biotic or natural areas in Maryland 4
Eastern Shore section 5
Western Shore section 6
Piedmont section 7
Ridge and Valley section 7
Allegheny Mountain section 7
Maryland's mammalian fauna 8
Keys 9
Accounts of species 14
Order Marsupialia (pouched mammals) 14
Order Insectivora (shrews, moles, etc.) 15
Order Chiroptera (bats) 41
Order Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, etc.) 61
Order Rodentia (gnawing mammals) 67
Order Camivora (flesh-eating mammals) 130
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed hoofed mammals) 167
Marine mammals of Maryland 173
Extirpated Recent mammals of Maryland 181
References 184
MAPS
Page
Figure 1. Map of Maryland showing the 23 counties, Baltimore City,
and the District of Columbia 3
2. Physiographic provinces of Maryland 5
3. Biotic sections of Maryland 6
4. Distribution of Sorex cinereus fontinalis and S. c. cinereus 17
5. Distribution of Sorex longirostris longirostris 21
6. Distribution of Sorex fumeus fumeus 24
7. Distribution of Sorex dispar dispar 26
8. Distribution of Microsorex hoyi winnemana 27
9. Distribution of Blarina brevicauda kirllandi 29
10. Distribution of Cryptotis parva parva 33
11. Distribution of Parascalops breweri 35
12. Distribution of Scalopus aquaticus aquaticus 37
13. Distribution of Condylura cristata cristata 40
14. Distribution of Myotis lucifugus lucifugus 42
15. Distribution of Myotis keenii septentrionalis 44
16. Distribution of Myotis sodalis 45
ni
IV
CONTENTS
Figure
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Distribution of Myotis subulatus leibii
Distribution of Lasionycteris noctivagans
Distribution of Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus
Distribution of Eptesicus fuscus fuscus
Distribution of Lasiurus borealis borealis
Distribution of Lasiurus cinereus cinereus
Distribution of Nyciiceius humeralis humeralis
Distribution of Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus
Distribution of Lepus americanus virginianus
Distribution of Tamias slriatus fisheri and T. s. lysteri
Distribution of Marmota monax monax
Distribution of Sciurus carolinensis pennsylvanicus
Distribution of Sciurus niger cinereus and S. n. vulpinus
Distribution of Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax
Distribution of Glaucomys volans volans
Distribution of Oryzomys palustris palustris
Distribution of Reithrodontomys humulis virginianus
Distribution of Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae and P. m.
bairdii
Distribution of Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis
Distribution of Neotoma floridana magister
Distribution of Clethrionomys gapperi gapperi
Distribution of Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus and
M. p. nigrans
Distribution of Pitymys pinetorum scalopsoides
Distribution of Ondatra zibethicus
Distribution of Synaptomys cooperi stonei
Distribution of Zapus hudsonius americanus
Distribution of Napaeozapus insignis insignis
Distribution of Canis latrans
Distribution of Vulpes vulpes fulva
Distribution of Urocyon cinereoargenteus cinereoargenteus
Distribution of Procyon lotor lotor
Distribution of Mustela erminea cicognanii
Distribution of Mustela frenata noveboracensis
Distribution of Mustela vison
Distribution of Mephitis mephitis nigra
Distribution of Spilogale putorius putorius
Distribution of Lutra canadensis
Distribution of Lynx rufus rufus
Page
47
49
51
52
55
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59
62
65
69
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91
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96
100
102
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108
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115
127
129
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135
140
144
147
149
153
156
159
161
165
INTRODUCTION
In 1950, Marshall C. Gardner (1950a, 1950b) began the first com-
prehensive listing of Maryland mammals, but he completed only the
sections dealing with marsupials, insectivores, and bats. This has been
the only statewide study of Maryland mammals ever undertaken, al-
though a number of sectional accounts have appeared, including those
by Goldman and Jackson (1939), Bures (1948), Hampe (1939), and
Bailey (1923). In addition, Mansueti (1950) treated in detail the
extinct and vanishing species of the State.
The present survey originated in the mid-1950's, but intensive work
on it was not begun until 1962. During the course of the study, field
work was conducted in all parts of the State except the Allegheny
Mountain section. Specimens collected during this field work, and the
large series of Maryland mammal specimens available in the national
collections, form the basis for the present survey. In the "specimens
examined" sections of the following accounts, the specimens are in
the collections housed in the U.S. National Museum unless otherwise
noted. Abbreviations used in the text for other institutions from which
material has been examined are K.U. for Museum of Natural History,
University of Kansas, U. Mich, for Museum of Zoology, University of
Michigan, and U. Md. for University of Maryland. All measurements
given in the accounts are in millimeters.
Several species are included in the body of the text for which there
are as yet no valid records for the State. These have been indicated by
placing the common names in parentheses. They are included because
of the virtual certainty that they are a part of Maryland's mammal
fauna. Of one of these species, a specimen was taken in West Virginia
only a few feet from the Maryland state line; as for the others, Mary-
land contains abundant suitable habitat and they are known to occur
both north and south of the State.
Distribution maps have been prepared for all land species except
introduced forms and certain ones that have been restocked or are
so widespread in distribution that they have been recorded from every
county in the State. On the maps, crosshatched areas represent probable
distribution, shaded symbols indicate specimens examined, unshaded
symbols indicate published records or other reports that appear to be
valid, and an unshaded symbol with a dot in the center indicates a type
1
2 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
locality. When more than one species or subspecies is represented on a
single map, circles and triangles are used to distinguish them, and the
crosshatchings representing their probable distributions run in dif-
ferent directions.
I want to express my thanks to Theodore A. Bookhout and Vagn
Flyger of the University of Maryland's Natural Resources Institute
for contributing a number of Maryland mammal records. I also want
to acknowledge my gratitude to the late Romeo Mansueti of the
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, Md., for his encourage-
ment and advice on a number of distributional problems.
LOCATION AND AREA OF
MARYLAND
Maryland lies between the parallels of 35° 53' and 39° 44' north
latitude and the meridians 75° 4' and 79° 29' west longitude. It is
bounded on the north by the State of Pennsylvania and on the east by
the State of Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean. The southern boundary
of the State is the Potomac River which separates it from Virginia and
West Virginia. West Virginia also borders Maryland on the west. The
District of Columbia is a political entity on the Potomac, between
Prince Georges and Montgomery counties, Maryland. It is not physio-
graphically distinct from Maryland in any way, and herein is regarded
as a part of Maryland.
The Maryland Geological Survey lists the total area of the State as
12,300.21 square miles, of which 2,437 square miles are water. Thus the
total land area of Maryland is 9,863.21 square miles, making the State
the eighth smallest in the Union. The area of the District of Columbia
is some 70 square miles, of which 8 are water.
Maryland extends in a general ESE-WNW direction for about 320
miles; the greatest north-south distance is approximately 150 miles.
The State is actually a narrow cross section of the Coastal Plain,
the Piedmont Plateau, and the Appalachian ridges. Elevations pass
gradually from sea level to 3,342 feet on Backbone Mountain in Garrett
County.
Geologically, Maryland varies greatly. Formations range from the
most ancient granite and gneiss, through rocks of every age and great
mineralogical diversity down to the coastal deposits of Recent times.
Overlying these rock formations are a great diversity of soils. In con-
trast to its more northern neighbors, Maryland has never been
glaciated.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
CECIL
IbaltI
IQITY| •>,^.
D.c> c. 5"5:i'',st'"-'
'GEORGES -<; ' Cof-f ^
\ • DORCHESTf...
I VV(L L J WICOMICO V
> ^y
Figure 1. — Map of Maryland showing the 23 counties, Baltimore City, and the
District of Columbia.
TEMPERATURE
The mean annual temperature for Maryland is 53 to 54 degrees. It
varies from area to area, the greatest difference being between Worces-
ter County on the Eastern Shore and Garrett County in the Alle-
gheny Mountains: according to Shreve et al. (1910), the average an-
nual temperature at Sunnyside in Garrett County is 47.1 degrees,
whereas at Pocomoke City in Worcester County it is 58, a difference
of 11 degrees. At intermediate points the average annual temperatures
are also intermediate ; the differences that exist are due to such factors
as elevation and proximity to the ocean and Chesapeake Bay. The
average date for the last killing frost in spring in western Maryland
is the first week in May ; farther east it is the last 10 days of April.
In western Maryland the average time for the first killing frost in
autumn is late September ; in the eastern part of the State it is early
November.
AVERAGE ANNUAL
PRECIPITATION
Precipitation is distributed throughout the year, but with a some-
what greater amount in the warmer months than in the cold season.
The heaviest rainfall, from 38 to 46 inches, occurs in western Maryland.
4 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
The Coastal Plain receives between 40 and 44 inches each year. Calvert
County is one of the driest areas of the State and receives only about
36 inches yearly.
EFFECTS OF CIVILIZATION
Maryland, like most other eastern States, has no truly virgin areas.
Even in the remotest regions of the western part of the State, logging
has been conducted, and fields and pastures range well up onto the sides
of the mountains. Some of the wildest parts of the State, until quite
recently, were the marshes that lined both the eastern and the western
sides of Chesapeake Bay and those along the Atlantic Ocean. With the
expanding populations of both Washington and Baltimore seeking
areas for summer recreation, many of these marshes are being drained
and "improved" for human habitation. In addition, easy access is now
available to the outer barrier beach on Assateague Island. The subur-
ban communities of all the larger cities of the State are spreading
farther and farther into the countryside and have eliminated some
fine woods, swamps, and meadows. This is particularly true of Balti-
more and Washington, the suburbs of which now extend 25 miles or
more into the surrounding country. As a result, the site where the only
specimen of the rare pigmy shrew, Microsorex hoyi loinnemana, has
ever been taken in Maryland is iiow part of a housing project, and the
southeasternmost Coastal Plain locality for the southern bog lemming,
Synaptomys cooperi^ has met the same fate. Nevertheless, a number
of areas remain in Maryland which are relatively isolated and which
support a varied and abundant mammal fauna. Some species, such as
the white-tailed deer and the cottontail rabbit, have actually profited
by the changes man has brought to the State.
PRINCIPAL BIOTIC OR NATURAL
AREAS IN MARYLAND
Maryland lies in 5 major physiographic provinces (Fenneman,
1938) : Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, and
Appalachian Plateaus.
There are three major forest regions (as described by Braun, 1950)
in Maryland which correspond roughly to these physiographic prov-
inces. They are the Oak-Pine Forest, the Oak-Chestnut Forest, and the
Mixed Mesophytic Forest. Stewart and Robbins (1958) divide these
major forest regions of Maryland into biotic or natural sections that
represent areas showing floral or faunal differences of a secondary
nature. They divide the Oak-Pine Forest region into an Eastern Shore
section, an Upper Chesapeake Bay section, and a Western Shore sec-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF MARYLAND
^^ Appalachian Plateaus
[ [ Ridge and Va 1 ley
^^ Blue Ridge
^^a Piedmont
I Coastal Plain
Figure 2. — Physiographic provinces of Maryland.
tion. The Oak-Chestnut Forest region is split into a Piedmont section
and a Ridge and Valley section, while the Allegheny Mountain section
comprises the Mixed Mesophytic Forest region in Maryland.
In general, mammal distribution in Maryland correlates well with
these natural areas or sections, and reference is made to them through-
out the text. An exception is that of the Upper Chesapeake Bay section
(comprising the northern portion of the Eastern Shore, and the Coas-
tal Plain of Baltimore and Harford counties) which seems to be too
weakly differentiated as a biotic area from adjacent sections to have
any relevance with regard to mammal distribution. This section has
been deleted herein, the northern portion of the Eastern Shore being
assigned to the Eastern Shore section, and the Coastal Plain of Balti-
more and Harford counties being treated as part of the Western Shore
section.
The following is primarily a condensation of Stewart and Robbins'
description of Maryland's biotic sections.
Eastern Shore Section
The upland forests of this section are composed chiefly of loblolly
pine {Pinus tcueda) stands and oak-hickory forests or a mixture of the
two. Along the tidal marshes, loblolly pine is found generally without
deciduous associates. The Eastern Shore section is poorly drained and
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
FiGUBE 3. — Biotic sections of Maryland.
there are many upland and lowland swamps in which occur sweetgum
{Liquidamhar styracvflua) ^ blackgum {Nyssa slyvatica), red maple
(Acer ruhrum) , pin oak {Quercus palustis), and American holly (Ilex
opaca) . Along the Pocomoke River there are many plants with south-
ern affinities such as bald cypress (Taeodium distichum) , red bay
(Persea horbonia), horse-sugar {Symplocos tinctoria), water oak
{Quercus nigra) ^ cross vine {Bignonia capreolata)^ and laurel-leaved
greenbriar {Smilax laurifolia) . In the northern part of this section the
upland forests are almost entirely deciduous and of the oak-hickory
type. In addition there are such habitats as barrier beaches, salt
marshes, and brackish marshes. Elevation is under 100 feet, and the
topography is flat.
Western Shore Section
The upland forests of the Western Shore section are composed of
scrub pine {Pinus virginiana) stands, oak-hickory forests, or a mix-
ture of the two. In the southern part loblolly pine is common, and in
the sandy soil of the northern part pitch pine (Pinus rigida) fre-
quently predominates. Rich moist upland forests of white oak
{Quercus alba) and tulip poplar {Liriodendron tulipifera) occur lo-
cally throughout the section. Small seepage areas are frequent and
usually support an upland swamp forest type that contains a well-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 7
developed understory. Flood-plain forests are particularly luxuriant
in the Western Shore section. Tidal marshes are commonly found
around the numerous estuaries. Elevation is from 100 to 300 feet, and
the topography is rolling.
Piedmont Section
The Piedmont section occupies the area of the Piedmont physiologi-
cal province (Fenneman, 1938) and a small part of the Coastal Plain
known as Elk Neck in Cecil County. The forests in this section con-
sist mostly of white oak, black oak {Quercus velutina), tulip poplar,
smoothbarked hickories (Carya sp.), and flowering dogwood (Comus
florida). In some areas chestnut oak {QiterciLS prmus) or scarlet oak
{Quercus coccinea) is common, and occasionally stands of scrub pine
or pitch pine are found. Beech {Fagus grandifolia) is often encoun-
tered on ravine slopes, and mixed mesophytic forest communities occur
in some of the larger valleys with steep north slopes. These communi-
ties contain a mixture of central and northern hardwoods and some-
times hemlock {Tsuga canadensis). Elevations in this section range
between 300 and 800 feet, and the topography is gently rolling. Much
of the land has been cleared for farming.
Ridge and Valley Section
Chestnut oak is the common tree throughout most of the section,
and in the higher elevations it is often found in nearly pure stands.
In dry areas and on slopes with southern or western exposure there is
scarlet oak, interspersed with occasional stands of scrub pine, pitch
pine, or Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens) . Most of the ravines
and steep northern slopes are occupied by mixed mesophytic forest
communities in which the common species are hemlock, white pine
{Pinus strobus)^ beech, sweet birch {Betula lenta), basswood {Tilia
americana), sugar maple {Acer saccharum), tulip poplar, white oak,
and northern red oak {Quercus rubra). On the valley floors, white
oak, black oak, tulip poplar, and flowering dogwood communities
occur. Groves of red cedar {Juniperus virginiana) are found in the
limestone areas of the Hagerstown Valley. The section consists of a
series of parallel ridges that range up to 2,000 feet in elevation.
Allegheny Mountain Section
This area is a high, undulating plateau, averaging about 2,500 feet
above sea level. Several ridges, some 500 feet high, cross this plateau
diagonally from northeast to southwest. The highest point in the
State, Backbone Mountain (3,342 feet), is in this section. Hemlock
8 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
and white pine are occasionally encountered on the slopes and in the
valleys, but deciduous trees predominate. These include sweet birch,
sugar maple, red maple, black cherry {Prunus serotina), basswood,
beech, shagbark hickory ( Carya ovata) , white oak, and northern red
oak. On higher ridges, northern red oak and red maple predominate,
with chestnut oaks, black oak, and yellow birch {Betul<i lutea) inter-
spersed. Scattered red spruce {Picea ruhens) is sometimes also found.
In valleys above 2,400 feet, there are some relict bogs consisting of
sedge meadows and bog heaths interspersed with patches of alder
{Alnus sp.), great laurel {Rhododendron maxim/am)^ red spruce,
hemlock, yellow birch, and red maple.
MARYLAND'S MAMMALIAN FAUNA
These biotic sections of Maryland are not suflSciently differentiated
to support widely divergent mammalian populations. Some forms are
confined to one or two sections of the State, but in general the mam-
malian fauna does not differ greatly from section to section. The
average-fauna formula (Long, 1963) discussed below, reveals that
the most significant division in the State is between the Piedmont sec-
tion and the Ridge and Valley section. The most diversified mam-
malian fauna is in the Allegheny Mountain section, the most impov-
erished in the Eastern Shore section.
Long (1963, p. 139) recommends the average-fauna formula, 20
(100)/(Ni-|-N2), for deriving a numerical expression of the faunal
resemblance of one area to another (in this formula, 6^= number of
kinds common to both faunas, iVi= number of kinds in smaller fauna,
iV^2= number of kinds in larger fauna). Using this formula, and sub-
stituting the number of species and subspecies for each section of
Maryland, the following comparisons were obtained :
Western
Shore
Piedmont
Ridge and
Valley
Allegheny
Mountain
Eastern Shore
90
83
92
73
77
83
62
Western Shore -_
67
Piedmont _ _
68
Ridge and Valley.
?7
These percentages show, as is to be expected in an area of this small
size, that the marmnal fauna of all the sections of Maryland rather
closely resemble one another. Naturally, the most distant sections of
the State geographically and ecologically, the Allegheny Mountain
and the Eastern Shore, differ the most faunistically. Nevertheless 75
percent of the species and subspecies are common to both sections. The
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 9
closest resemblance between two sections is that between the Western
Shore and the Piedmont. Surprisingly, the two Coastal Plain sections,
the Western Shore and the Eastern Shore, show slightly less resem-
blance to each other. This is probably due to the isolating effect of
the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore.
The percentages show clearly that the Allegheny Mountain and
Ridge and Valley sections have close faunal resemblance, and that
as a unit they stand somewhat apart from the three eastern sections.
Thus, while the resemblance ratio of the Eastern Shore to the Western
Shore is 90 percent, and that of the Western Shore to the Piedmont
is 92 percent, the Piedmont has a resemblance to the neighboring Ridge
and Valley section of only 83 percent. The resemblance of the Ridge
and Valley to its neighboring Allegheny Mountain section returns
to 87 percent, indicating that these two sections differ to some extent
from the three eastern sections, which in turn appear to form a
closely allied mammalian fauna unit. Therefore, the most strongly
marked division with regard to mammal distribution in Maryland is
that between the gently rolling Piedmont of Montgomery, Howard,
Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, and eastern Frederick Counties and the
upland Blue Ridge Mountains (Ridge and Valley section) to the west
in Washington and western Frederick Counties.
Taken as a whole, Maryland's mammal fauna seems to be more
northern than southern in origin. Only a few distinctly southern
species (represented usually by small numbers of individuals) reach
Maryland. Some of these are Reithrodontomys humulis, Sorex longi-
rost?n.s, and SpUogale putorius. On the other hand, a number of
distinctly northern species reach south to Maryland {Sorex cinereus,
Mustela. erminea, Lejms americanus, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, and
a number of others) and extend even farther south, particularly in
the Appalachian Mountains, where many of them range as far south
as North Carolina and Tennessee.
KEYS
The following keys employ external and easily observable or measur-
able characters when possible. In a few instances it has been necessary
to resort to dental characters when external ones were not sufficiently
marked to separate forms. The keys are designed for use on adult
animals only.
Key to the Orders of Maryland Land Mammals
la. Forelimbs modified as wings Chiroptera (bats)
b. Forelimbs not modified as wings 2
2a. Feet provided with hoofs Artiodactyla (even-toed hoofed mammals)
b. Feet provided with claws ^
10 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
3a. Canine teeth absent; incisors chisel-like 4
b. Canine teeth present ; incisors not chisel-like 5
4o. Upper incisors 2-2 Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, etc.)
b. Upper incisors 1-1 Rodentia (gnawing mammals)
5a. Canine teeth similar in appearance to other teeth ; eyes inconspicuous
Insectivora (moles, shrews, etc.)
b. Canine teeth well developed ; eyes not rudimentary 6
6a. Tail prehensile; first digit on fore and hind limbs opposable; abdominal
pouch present in female Marsupialia (pouched mammals)
b. Tail not prehensile; first digit not opposable; no abdominal pouch pres-
ent Carnivora (flesh eating mammals)
Key to the Order Insectivora in Maryland
la. Forefeet greatly enlarged and adapted for digging 9
b. Forefeet similar in size to hind feet and not adapted for digging 2
2a. Tail short, less than 25 percent of total length of animal 3
b. Tail long, more than 30 percent of total length of animal 4
3a. Coloration grayish; size more than 100 mm.; 32 teeth in mouth
Blarina brevicauda (short-tailed shrew)
6. Coloration brownish; size small, less than 100 mm.; 30 teeth in mouth
Cryptotis parva (least shrew)
4a. Third and fifth upper unicuspid teeth minute so that only three of the
five upper unicuspids are visible when skull is viewed laterally
Microsorex hoyi (pigmy shrew)
6. Only fifth unicuspid tooth in upper jaw minute so that four unicuspids
are visible when skull is viewed laterally 5
5a. Total length 145 mm. or more; hind feet large and fringed with stiff
hairs; third and fourth toes of hind feet thinly webbed for about half
their length Sorex palustris (water shrew)
6. Total length 135 mm. or less; hind feet not conspicuously large and not
fringed with stiff hairs ; no webbing on any toes 6
6a. Tail more than 55 mm. in length; coloration uniform dark gray through-
out Sorex dispar (long-tailed shrew)
b. Tail less than 55 mm. in total length; coloration not uniformly dark
gray 7
7a. Total length greater than 110 mm Sorex fumeus (smoky shrew)
b. Total length under 100 mm 8
8a. Coloration reddish brown Sorex longirostris (southeastern shrew)
b. Coloration dull brown or grayish brown Sorex cinereus (masked shrew)
9a. Snout fringed with fleshy projections; tail long, more than 50 mm. in
length Condylura cristata (star-nosed mole)
b. Snout not fringed with fleshy projections; tail less than 40 mm. in
length 10
10a. Tail thin, flesh-colored and scantily haired
Scalopus aquaticus (eastern mole)
b. Tail thick, blackish and well haired
Parascalopif breweri (hairy-tailed mole)
Key to the Order Chiroptera in Maryland
la. Interfemoral membrane wholly or partially furred on upper surface 2
b. Interfemoral membrane not furred on upper surface 4
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 11
2a. Coloration reddish-orange Lasiurus borealis (red bat)
b. Coloration brownish to black, frosted with white 3
da. Total length greater than 125 mm.; interfemoral membrane wholly
furred; coloration brownish, heavily frosted with white; individual
hairs banded Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat)
b. Total length less than 120mm.; interfemoral membrane only partially
furred; coloration blackish, lightly frosted with white; individual hairs
not banded Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat)
4a. Ears reaching considerably beyond end of nose when laid forward 5
b. Ears not reaching noticeably beyond end of nose when laid forward 6
5o. Ears greatly enlarged, over 35 mm. from crown in length
Plecotus townsendii (big-eared bat)
b. Ears not noticeably enlarged Myotis keenii (Keen myotis)
6a. Over 100 mm. in total length Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat)
b. Under 100 mm. in total length 7
7a. Under 85 mm. in total length; distinct black facial mask
Myotis subulatus (small-footed myotis)
b. Over 85 mm. in total length; no black facial mask 8
8c. Pale golden brown in coloration; nose, ears, and wings reddish-brown
Pipistrellus subflavus (eastern pipistrelle)
b. Coloration dark brown ; ears, nose, and wings nearly black 9
9a. Fur long, thick, and shiny Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat)
6. Fur short, dull and sparse 10
10a. Coloration dark brown; ears thick and leathery
Nycticeius humeralis (evening bat)
b. Coloration pinkish brown; ears not thick and leathery
Myotis sodalis (Indiana myotis)
Key to the Order Lagomorpha in Maryland
la. Length of hind foot greater than 115 mm (as much as 150 mm. in some
specimens) ; coloration white in winter
Lepus americanus (showshoe rabbit)
b. Length of hind foot less than 115 mm.; coloration brownish in all
seasons 2
2a. Black on forward edge of ear sharply defined from brown of rest of
ear; distinct black patch betweep ears
Sylvilagus transitionalis (New England cottontail)
b. Black on forward edge of ear not sharply defined; no dark patch
between ears Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
Key to the Order Rodentia in Maryland
la. Upper incisors with longitudinal grooves 2
b. Upper incisors withovit longitudinal grooves 5
2a. Tail very short, equal to about one-sixth of total length
Synaptomys cooperi (southern bog lemming)
b. Tail longer than one-sixth of total length 3
3a. Tail less than one-half of total length
Reithrodontomys humulis (harvest mouse)
b. Tail greater than one-half of total length 4
12 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
4a. Coloration of sides orange; tail often tipped with white
Napaeozapus insignis (woodland jumping mouse)
h. Coloration of sides yellowish; tail never tipped with white
Zapus hudsonius (meadow jumping mouse)
5a. Tail bushy 6
b. Tail not bushy 10
6a. Fore and hind limbs connected by a loose fold of skin ; adapting the ani-
mal for gliding Glaucomys volans (southern flying squirrel)
b. Fore and hind limbs not connected by a loose fold of skin 7
7a. Tail less than one-quarter of the total length. _ Marmota monax (woodchuck)
b. Tail greater than one-third of the total length 8
8a. Coloration reddish-brown above; under 325 mm. in total length
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (red squirrel)
b. Coloration not reddish-brown ; over 325 mm. in total length 9
9a. Coloration of upper parts gray, darker along middle of back; under
550 mm. in total length; upper premolars 2-2
Sciurus carolinensis (gray squirrel)
b. Coloration of upper parts variable-grayish, reddish, or buflfy, but sides
not noticeably paler than back; over 550 mm. in total length; upper
premolars 1-1 Sciurus niger (fox squirrel)
10a. Coloration on back reddish, marked with several longitudinal black and
white stripes Tamias striatus (eastern chipmunk)
6. Back not striped 11
11a. Tail flattened horizontally, paddle-like Castor canadensis (beaver)
b. Tail not horizontally flattened 12
12a. Tail compressed laterally Ondatra zibethicus (muskrat)
b. Tail not compressed laterally 13
13a. Total length over 325 mm 14
6. Total length less than 275 mm 17
14o. Total length over 500 mm.; aquatic in habits.- Myocastor coy pus (nutria)
b. Total length less than 500 mm 15
15a. Tail length equal to, or more than, half total length of animal
Rattus rattus (black rat)
b. Tail length less than half total length 16
16a. Tail well haired, and not conspicuously scaly
Neotoma floridana (eastern woodrat)
b. Tail scantily haired and noticeably scaly. Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat)
17a. Tail very short, equal to about one-sixth of total length
Pitymys pinetorum (pine vole)
6. Tail longer than one-sixth of total length IS
18a. Tail only moderately short, equal to about one-third of the total length. . 19
b. Tail longer than one-third of total length 20
19a. Back marked with a wide band of dull red from forehead to rump
Clethrionomys gapperi (red-backed vole)
b. Back dark brown to nearly black.. Microtus pennsylvanicus (meadow vole)
20a. Line of demarcation between coloration of back and abdomen indistinct ;
coloration often uniform gray throughout.. Mus musculus (house mouse)
b. Sharp line of demarcation between coloration of back and abdomen;
abdomen always white 21
21a. Total length over 225 mm Oryzomys palustris (rice rat)
b. Total length under 200 mm 22
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 13
22a. Coloration on back chestnut brown
Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse)
6. Coloration on back grayish brown. _ Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse)
Key to the Order Carnivora in Maryland
la. Coloration black, or black and white 2
h. Coloration not black 4
2o. Size large, over 1,200 mm. in total length; tail short and not bushy
Euarctos americanus (black bear)
b. Under 800 mm. in total length; tail long and bushy 3
3a. Upper parts marked with no more than two white stripes
Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk)
b. Upper parts marked with four or more white stripes
Spilogale putorius (spotted skunk)
4a. Black facial mask ; tail ringed Procyon lotor (raccoon)
b. No black facial mask ; tail not ringed 5
5a. Total length under 700 mm 6
b. Total length over 900 mm 9
6a. Underparts brown except for white spots on chin and throat
Mustela vison (mink)
b. Underparts whitish or yellowish 7
7a. No black tail tip; tail less than one-quarter of total length
Mustela nivalis (least weasel)
b. Black tail tip ; tail more than one-quarter of total length 8
8a. Black tail tip nearly 50 percent of tail vertebrae length
Mustela erminea (ermine)
b. Black tail tip 40 percent or less of tail vertebrae length
Mustela frenata (long-tailed weasel)
9a. Claws retractile; pupils of eyes elliptical; tail short, less than 165 mm
Lynx rufus (bobcat)
6. Claws not retractile; pupils of eyes not elliptical; tail long, over 300
mm 10
10a. Toes of fore and hind feet webbed; tail thick and heavy; aquatic in
habits Lutra canadensis (otter)
b. Toes not webbed; tail not thick and heavy; not aquatic in habits 11
1 lo. Coloration reddish ; tail tip white Vulpes vulpes (red fox)
b. Coloration grizzled grayish; no white tail tip 12
12a. Total length over 1,050 mm Canis latrans (coyote)
b. Total length under 1,050 mm Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox)
Key to the Order Artiodactyla in Maryland
la. Back brownish, or reddish-olive in coloration, speckled with indistinct
white blotches; antlers narrow and standing erect above head; small
canine teeth in upper jaws Cervus nippon (Sika deer)
b. Back reddish-brown (summer) or grayish (winter) in coloration, not
speckled; antlers heavy, and curving forward over head; no canine
teeth present in upper jaws Odocoileus virginianus (Virginia deer)
336-897 O — 69-
14 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES
Order MARSUPIALIA (pouched mammals)
Family DIDELPHIDAE (opossums)
OPOSSUM
Didelphis marsupialis virginiana Kerr
Didelphis virginicma Kerr, The animal kingdom . . ., p. 193, 1792.
Type locality. — Virginia.
General distribution. — In the eastern United States from Vermont, New York,
central Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, south to central Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs abundantly in all sections of
the State.
Distinguishing characteristics.- — -Teeth 5/4, 1/1, 3/3, 4/4, — 50; tail
naked and prehensile; five toes on each foot, the first on each hind
foot clawless and thumblike; outer hair long and coarse, underfur
short and soft; general coloration grizzled-grayish.
Meam/reinents. — Three adults from Cabin John, Montgomery
County, measure: Total length 780, 737, 795; tail vertebrae 298, 325,
333; hind foot 70, 63, 70; greatest length of skull 117.7, 98.6, 111;
zygomatic breadth 63.5, 53.5, 54.7.
Habitat and habits. — The opossiun prefers densely forested areas.
Llewellyn and Dale (1964, pp. 120-121) found that at the Patuxent
Research Center, near Laurel, Prince Georges County, this species was
primarily an animal of the low, dense woodland, favoring sections
near water. They found that well-drained upland woods were less
desirable, and the open cleared or cultivated lands seemed to be of
slight value for the opossum. Nevertheless, it will frequently wander
into meadows and cultivated fields in search of food. The prehensile tail
and opposable first toe on the hind foot make this animal almost as
much at home in trees as on the ground.
The opossum apparently does not favor the pine woods and salt
marshes along the Atlantic coast. One specimen was taken on the
Virginia portion of Assateague Island in the early 1930's, but local
residents report that none have been seen there in a number of years.
The species is abundant in the Rock Creek Park area of the District
of Columbia, often wandering into nearby regions of the city at night,
searching for food and sometimes nimmaging in garbage pails in
residential areas considerably distant from the wooded areas. One
such wanderer recently made his abode in the backyard of a row-
house near the center of the city where he remained for many weeks,
MAMMALS OF MABYLANI> 15
visiting a nearby porch in the evenings to eat the pet food set out by
the owner for her cat.
The opossum is a marsupial, distantly related to such animals as the
kangaroo and the koala of Australia. It gives birth to live young, but
the young are bom in a premature condition and are nursed in the
pouch or marsupium of the mother. When born, they are naked or
grublike in appearance, but the forelimbs are well enough developed
to be used for crawling into the pouoh. Development is rapid in the
pouch, and within 4 to 5 weeks the young are ready to leave for short
periods. Llewellyn and Dale (1964, pp. 118-121) found that in Mary-
land the opossum begins to breed in early February, and young are
found in the pouch until August. Hartman (1952, p. 73) estimates the
gestation period as slightly under 13 days. Evidently two litters are
produced during a breeding season, but the first litter accounts for
the majority of young. Llewellyn and Dale found that the average
number of young for 57 litters in pouch was 7.74.
The opossum makes its home in almost any shelter where it can be
dry and safe from enemies. This may be mider sheds or buildings, in
brush piles, or in holes in trees. In its eating habits the opossum is as
unselective as it is in finding a shelter. Hartman (1952, p. 62) lists
the frequency of foods taken in the following order: insects, fruits,
invertebrates (other than insects), mammals, reptiles, grains, birds,
and eggs. It also eats carrion.
Specimens examined. — Montgomery County: Bethesda, 2; Boyds,
1; Cabin John, 3; Plummers Island, 2; no exact locality, 2. Prince
Georges County: Beltsville, 2; Bladensburg, 1 ; Branchville, 4; Green-
belt, 2 ; Laurel, 36 ; Patuxent Research Center, 2 ; T.B., 1. District of
Columbia: 25.
Other records and reports. — Opossums have been killed in every
Maryland county (LeCompte, 1942).
Remarks. — As noted by Gardner (1950, p. 65), Maryland opossums
are indistinguishable from Virginia topotypes of virginiana.
Order INSECTIVORA (shrews, moles, etc.)
Family SORICIDAE (shrews)
MASKED SHREW
Sorex cinereus Kerr
This species closely resembles the southeastern shrew {Sorex longi-
rostris) and the pigmy shrew [Microsorex hoyi). The differences
between the masked shrew and these other species are discussed under
the species accounts of the other two.
There are two subspecies of Sorex cinereus in Maryland. These are :
16 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Sorex cinereus cinereus Kerr
Soreas arcticus cinereus Kerr, The animal kingdom . . ., p. 206, 1792.
Type locality. — Fort Severn, Ontario, Canada.
General distribution. — This is a wide-ranging subspecies, distributed over
much of the northern part of North America. In the eastern United States it
ranges throughout New England, New Yorli, and western Pennsylvania, and
south in the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Kidge and Valley, and Allegheny Moun-
tain sections. (See fig. 4.)
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/1, 1/1, 3/1, 3/3, = 32; third
unicuspid usually larger than, or equal in size to, fourth unicuspid;
size very small; snout elongated and pointed; tail long, slightly less
than half the total length of the animal; ears short and hidden in fur;
coloration in winter pelage dark brown to almost black on upper parts,
lighter brown or grayish on underparts ; in summer, coloration is some-
what lighter and more brownish.
Measurements. — An adult female from 9 miles east of Oldtown,
Allegany County, measures : Total length 88 ; tail 40 ; hind foot 1 1 ;
ear 7; condylobasal length of skull 15.7; cranial breadth 7.4; inter-
orbital breadth 2.3; maxillary breadth 3.9; crown length of upp^r
toothrow (exclusive of first incisors) 5.4.
Habitat and habits. — This shrew is most common around rocks in
moist or damp coniferous or deciduous woods. Sometimes it lives in
grassy bogs and swamps, but rarely if ever in dry fields or woods
The nest is located on or near the surface of the ground, in a cavity
under a log, rock, or other object. It is composed mainly of leaves, and
in shape resembles a flattened sphere some 3 inches in diameter. In
its ramblings this shrew utilizes surface runways that it constructs
itself and subterranean runways that have been dug by mice.
The masked shrew is a voracious eater and consumes a wide variety
of foods. These include beetles, moths, caterpillars, bugs, flies, crickets,
spiders, worms, and the flesh of mice and other shrews. It also eats
some vegetable matter such as moss and seeds.
Little is known of the breeding habits of the masked shrew. The
breeding season may extend from March to September, and as many
as three litters may be produced in a single season. The gestation period
is probably about 18 days, and from 4 to 10 young are produced per
litter, the usual number being 7. The male stays with the female before
and after pregnancy and during the early development of the young.
A young shrew is able to shift for itself within 20 to 25 days after its
birth.
The shrew is physically strong for its size, but being extremely active
it seems to bum itself out at an early age. Its longevity is probably
not over 2 years if it is allowed to live its full life span.
MAMMAI/S OF MARYLAND
17
Sorex ainereus cinereus
▲ Specimens examined
A Specimens reported
Sorex ainereus fontinalis
Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 4. — Distribution of Sorex cinereus fontinaUs and 8. c. cinereus.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 1; Old-
town, 3 miles E, 1 ; Oldtown, 9 miles E, 1. Garrett Gov/nty: Bittinger, 2;
Cunningham Swamp, 4 (Coll. U. Md.) .
Sorex cinereus fontinalis Hollister
Sorex fontinalis Hollister, Proc. U.S. National Museum, 40: 378,
17 April 1911.
Type locality. — Cold Spring Swamp, near Beltsville, Prince Georges County,
Maryland.
General (Hstrihution. — Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Pennsylvania, Maryland,
ani northern Virginia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Piedmont, Western Shore, and Eastern
Shore sections.
The characters of this race seem to be best developed in the lower
Piedmont section near Washington, D.C. (near the type locality).
Specimens from the Coastal Plain sections of the Eastern Shore and
upper Western Shore are less typical and apparently represent inter-
grades with S. c. cinereus., which is distributed to the northeast in New
Jersey. In the upper Piedmont the subspecies intergrades with S. c.
cinereus. No specimens of masked shrew have been taken in the
southern part of the Western Shore section (Calvert, St. Marys, and
Charles Counties) and perhaps the species does not range this far
south in the State.
18 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distinguishing characteristics. — This subspecies is very similar to
S. c. cinsreus and differs from it only in minor details which are most
evident on the skull. Externally, the only apparent differences are
somewhat smaller size and shorter tail. The skull is smaller, with a
narrower braincase and a shorter, relatively wider rostrum. The uni-
cuspid toothrow is shorter than in S. c. cinereus^ and the teeth in the
unicuspid row are more crowded.
This subspecies of masked shrew closely resembles the southeastern
shrew {Sorex longirostris) , which in the eastern United States reaches
the northern limits of its range in Maryland. Differences between the
two are discussed under the species account for Sorex longirostris.
Measurements. — External measurements of eight adults from the
vicinity of Rockville, Montgomery County, are as follows : Total length
81.7 (76-89); tail vertebrae 33.7 (30-35); hind foot 10.6 (10-11).
Cranial measurements of five adults from the vicinity of Rockville
are: Condylobasal length 14.9 (14.7-15.2) ; cranial breadth 7.0 (6.7-
7.1) ; least interorbital breadth 2.7 (2.6-2.8) ; maxillary breadth 4.1
(4.0^.2) ; crown length of upper toothrow (exclusive of first incisors)
5.5 (5.3-5.7).
Habitat and habits. — Bures (1948, p. 62) collected 14 masked shrews
(which he incorrectly believed to be Sorex longirostris) near Lake
Roland, Baltimore County. He says that, with two exceptions, all of
these shrews were taken in a mixed deciduous woods bordering a rail-
road siding. Of the two exceptions, one was trapped in a dense tangle
of sumac and honeysuckle bordering a marsh, and the other in similar
habitat along a small stream paralleling Falls Road. He states that
systematic trapping throughout the area confirmed his opinion that this
shrew does not wander far from deciduous woods. Hampe ( 1939, p. 5) ,
however, trapped this shrew in the Patapsco State Park in the marshy
pastures near Glenartney, and the type specimen of the subspecies
was collected in a cold spring swamp in Prince Georges County.
This shrew apparently does not occur on the outer barrier beaches
of the Atlantic Coast. Many weeks of trapping there failed to produce
a single specimen. It does inhabit the adjacent mainland, and the skull
of one was found in an owl pellet on Mills Island in Chincoteague Bay,
Worcester County. The shrew had undoubtedly been captured by the
owl on the nearby mainland.
Regarding the nesting habits and young of this species, Hampe
(1936) writes that he examined the nest of one which was under a
discarded trash-filled box among the leaves about 6 feet from the road
between Glenartney and Vineyard, Baltimore County. It was com-
posed of a small bundle of dried and broken leaves loosely packed in
a small depression in the ground. It was fairly dry, but the surround-
ing ground was very damp. This nest was found on 18 October 1936
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 19
and contained six blind and hairless young. At the time of this dis-
covery the young were probably a week old, and one of them measured
43 mm. in total length with tail and hind foot measurements of 12 and
6 mm. respectively. The nest was visited again in about 2 weeks, and
the young had developed to a size of Y7 Tom. in total length with tail
and hind foot measurements of 33 and 10 mm. They were well furred
and quite active. When the nest was visited for the final time on 8 No-
vember, only 3 young could be found, and they quickly scampered
away into the surrounding brush. The mother was seen in the nest only
when it wa^ first investigated on 18 October, and she scurried away
very rapidly when the nest was opened.
With regard to feeding and breeding habits of this race not much
is known, but they probably are similar to those of Sorex c. cinereus.
As with cinereiis, this subspecies appears to be cyclical as far as abund-
ance in particular areas is concerned ; some years they are scarce, in
others numerous. An example of how abundant these shrews may be
in some years is provided by Kyle Barbehenn who collected 80 of them
near Germantown, Montgomery County, between November 1958 and
January 1959, and more than 150 near Rockville, Montgomery County,
from February to April 1959.
Specimens exammed. — Anne Arwndel Cownty: Annapolis, 3 miles
NW, 1; Severn Run, 1. Baltimore County: Lake Roland, 11; Lock
Raven, 5; Pretty Boy Reservoir (near Middletown), 1. Dorchester
County: Cambridge, 1. Montgomery County: Ashton, 1; Bethesda,
1; Cabin John, 1; Chevy Chase, 1; Germantown, 60; Glen Echo
Heights, 1; Great Falls, 1; Rockville (near), 153; Sandy Spring, 1.
Prince Georges County: Beltsville, 1; Bowie, 1; Hollywood, 1; Hy-
attsville, 5 ; Landover, 1 ; Laurel, 3 ; Patuxent Wildlife Research Cen-
ter, 3; Tuxedo, 1. Worcester County: Mills Island, 1 (from owl pellet).
Other records and reports. — Kent County: Chestertown (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service files) . Baltimore Coumty : Patapsco State Park
(Hampe, 1936).
Remarks. — This shrew was for many years considered a distinct spe-
cies. Poole (1937, p. 96), however, showed that in Pennsylvania there
is an unbroken gradation between this form and Sorex cinereus and
that the two are only subspecifically separable. In Maryland, the most
typical specimens of fontinalis are found in the vicinity of the type
locality. Farther to the northwest, near Rockville and Germantown,
Montgomery County, specimens, although still referable to fontinalis^
are somewhat larger than typical of the race, and are approaching
cinereus. The real dividing line for the 2 subspecies in Maryland is
that between the Piedmont and the Ridge and Valley sections, those
to the west being referable to cinereus, those to the east to fontinalis.
Specimens from north of Baltimore and from the Eastern Shore sec-
20 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
tion also appear to be intergrading with jS. c. cmereus. S. c. fontinalis
appears to represent the end of a cline with regard to small size,
shortening of the rostrum, crowding of the unicuspid toothrow, and
short tail.
Maryland represents the southern terminus for the distribution of
the species Sorex cinereits east of the Appalachian Mountains.
SOUTHEASTERN SHREW
Sorex longirostris longirostris Bachman
Sorex longirostris Bachman, Journal Acad. Nat. Science, Philadel-
phia, ser. 1,7(2): 370, 1837.
Type locality. — Hume Plantations, swamps of the Santee River (= Cat Island,
mouth of Santee River) , South Carolina.
General distribution. — The southeastern United States from southern Mary-
land and the District of Columbia to central Florida, and vrestvpard, around
the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains to Kentucky, central Indiana,
and Illinois.
Distribution i/n Maryland. — The southern portion of the Western
Shore section, and perhaps extending into the lower Piedmont section.
Maryland is the northernmost limit of the distribution of the species
in the eastern United States.
Distinguishing ch/wacteristics. — This shrew may be easily confused
with Sorex cinereus^ particularly the race fontinalis.^ and with Micro-
sorex hoyi. It is distinguished from Sorex cinereus by the following :
size smaller; tail shorter; coloration more reddish in winter pelage;
feet smaller; rostrum short-er and blunter; unicuspid toothrow more
crowded; and a greater tendency for the fourth unicuspid to exceed
the third in size. From Microsorex hm/i it differs in a major dental
character. In Microsorex the third upper unicuspid is minute and
disk-like, and not visible when the jaw is seen in side view. The fifth
unicuspid is also minute and not visible in side view, so that only 3
unicuspids are visible laterally in the upper jaw, the first, second, and
fourth. In Sorex longirostris (and Sorex eimereus) 4 or 5 unicuspids
are always visible when the skull is viewed laterally. In addition,
Sorex longirostris is somewhat larger, more reddish in coloration,
and has a longer tail than Microsorex hoyi.
Measurements. — One specimen from Chesapeake Beach, Calvert
County, has the following cranial measurements : Condylobasal length
14.3; cranial breadth 6.6; least interorbital breadth 2.9; maxillary
breadth 4.1; crown length of upper toothrow (exclusive of first in-
cisor) 5.1.
Three specimens from Raleigh, N.C., average 82.6 mm. in total
length and have an average tail lengtli of 30.2 mm.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
21
Sovex longipostris longirostris
• Specimens examined
FiGUBE 5. — Distribution of Sorex longirostris longirostris.
Habitat amd habits. — Although this shrew prefers moist situations
such as bogs and damp woods, it has on occasion been taken on com-
paratively high ground. It is a rare species, and little is known of its
habits, although they probably do not differ much from those of B.
cinereus. An interesting sidelight on the specimen from Chesapeake
Beach, Calvert County, is a notation on the original label that says
"fell over cliffs to bayshore."
Specimens examJmed, — Anne Arundel County: Shady side, 1. CaVvert
Cov/nty: Camp Roosevelt, 2; Chesapeake Beach, 1. Prince Georges
County: Hall, 1. District of Columbia : 1.
Remarks. — It is interesting to note that, in the eastern United States
at least, the ranges of Sorex cinereus and Sorex longirostris do not at
present seem to overlap anywhere. North of a certain line (in Mary-
land this line lies in the Western Shore section between Wasliington,
D.C., and Shadyside, Anne Arundel County) all specimens collected
have been S. cinereus., whereas south of this line S. longirostris only
has been taken. There does not appear, however, to be any evidence of
intergradation between the species. Specimens of S. longirostris from
Calvert and Anne Armidel Counties, Md., are just as typical of that
species as are those from farther south in North and South Carolina,
whereas specimens from Rockville, only a few miles away, are clearly
S. cinereus. That the two are distinct species is further demonstrated
22 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
by the fact that both have been taken in the same field in central
Indiana.
In all probability Sorex ciner&us will eventually be found to be a
resident of the southern portion of the Western Shore section, and
S. longirostris may be distributed through more of the Piedmont and
northern Western Shore section than is currently indicated.
(WATER SHREW)
Sorex palustris punctulatus Hooper
Sorex falustris 'punctulatus Hooper, Occas. Papers Mus. Zool. Univ.
Mich., 463 : 1, 15 September 1942.
Type locality. — West Virginia, Randolph County, 6 miles northwest of Durbin,
Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, 3,600 feet elevation.
General distribution. — "Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, and
probably also of southwestern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and northwestern
Virginia." (Hooper, l&i2, p. 1).
Distribution in Maryland. — Not recorded for the State, but undoubt-
edly occurs in the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountain section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Largest of all the eastern long-
tailed shrews; hind feet large, and with a fringe of stiff hairs; third
and fourth hind toes joined by thin web at the base for slightly more
than half their length; grizzled coloration on upper parts, and pale
gray underparts in winter pelage; tail markedly bicolored. Tooth
formula as in 8orex cinereus^ but third unicuspid smaller than fourth.
This is an amphibious species, well adapted for an aquatic life.
Measurements. — Hooper (1942) gives some measurements of the
type and two paratypes (from Randolph and Preston Counties,
W. Va.) as follows: Total length 152, 153, 155; tail 64, 70, 71; hind
foot 19, 20, 20; condylobasal length of skull 21.1, 21.2, , cranial
breadth 10.6, 10.3, ; interorbital breadth 3.9, 3.8, 3.9; maxillary
breadth 6.5, 6.4, 6.5 ; maxillary toothrow 7.9, 8.0, 8.1.
Habitat and habits. — This species prefers very wet areas along the
borders of streams, lakes, and ponds. Often it is found in marshes
and bogs, and in beaver and muskrat houses, particularly in winter.
It favors heavily wooded areas and is rarely found in marehes that
are devoid of bushes or trees. According to Hooper (1942), the type
specimen of the subspecies punHidatus was collected under a log at
the base of a yellow birch sapling, in a forest of spruce, hemlock, yel-
low birch, maple, and beech, about 100 yards from Shavers Fork, the
nearest body of water. The paratypes were taken at the edge of streams
feeding or draining spruce swamps, one specimen among bracken,
rhododendron, and hemlock, the other among sedges, rushes, willow,
and spruce. There are many areas similar to this in Garret County
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 23
■which the water shrew may inhabit, and one of the specimens men-
tioned by Hooper was taken one mile south-southeast of Cranesville,
Preston County, W. Va., at an altitude of 2,600 feet, only a few yards
from the Maryland State line.
This shrew does not hibernate and is active all winter. It is primarily
nocturnal in habits, but occasionally is abroad during daylight hours.
It is well adapted to an aquatic life and is one of the best swimmers of
the nonmarine mammals. It can swim, dive, float, run along the bottom
of a pond or creek, and actually run upon the surface of the water for
some distance. Jackson (1961, p. 38) says that he once saw a water
shrew run a distance of more than 5 feet across the surface of a pool.
The body aad head of the animal were entirely out of the water, the
surface tension of the water supporting the shrew, and at each step
the animal took there appeared to be a little globule of air held by
the hair fringe on the hind feet.
Conaway (1952), writing of the western subspecies navigator^ says
that it apparently has an extensive breeding season since pregnant
females have been collected in March, suckling females the first week
in June, half grown young early in July, a female with five small
embryos on August 2, and a male with enlarged testes on 9 August.
The number of embryos varies from 4 to 8, and the gestation period
is probably about 21 days. These shrews do not live long; Conaway
estimates that the maximum age of any specimen obtained would not
be in excess of 18 months.
The food of the water shrew consists largely of insect matter, chiefly
beetles and their larvae, flies, caddisflies, and mayflies. Snails, leeches,
small fish, and fish eggs are also consumed. Vegetable matter probably
supplies only a small part of the diet.
SMOKY SHREW
Sorex fumeus fumeus Miller
/Sorex fimieus Miller. North American Fauna, 10: 50, 31 December
1895.
Type locality. — Peterboro, Madison County, N.Y.
General distribution. — Eastern North America, from southeastern Ontario
and central New England to the Smoky Mountains and northern Georgia. It has
also been reported from central Kentucky (Barbour, 1951, p. 102) and south-
eastern Wisconsin (Jackson. 1928, p. 65).
Distribution in Maryland. — Higher elevations (above 2,000 feet) in
the Allegheny Mountain section ; may also occur at higher elevations
in the Ridge and Valley section. It is not a common species in
Maryland.
Distinguishing characteristics. — In summer pelage resembles Sorex
cin^reus, but is larger, has a longer tail, bigger feet, and somewhat
24
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Sorex fumeus fimeus
Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 6. — Distribution of Sorex funieiis fumeus.
paler coloration. In winter pelage, coloration is grayish, and this shrew
resembles Sorex dispar, but has a shorter tail. Tooth formula as in
Sorex cinereus ; third unicuspid larger than fourth.
Measy/rerrhents. — Six adults from Finzel, Garrett County, 6 miles
north of Frostburg, average as follows: Total length 110.8 (104—118) ;
tail 44.5 (42-50) ; hind foot 13.2 (13-14) ; condylobasal length of skull
(average of 3) 17.9 (17.7-18.2) ; cranial breadth (average of 4) 8.7
(8.6-8.9) ; least interorbital breadth 3.7 (3.6-3.9) ; maxillary breadth
5.0 (4.8-5.3) ; length of maxillary toothrow (average of 5) 6.7
(6.5-6.8).
Habitat and habits. — The smoky shrew is essentially a northern and
mountain species and reaches its greatest abundance in the cool forested
regions of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Most of Mary-
land apparently does not provide suitable habitat, for it is not a com-
mon species in the State. It prefers damp woods and bogs at the higher
altitudes, where it lives under moss-covered logs and rocks. E. A.
Preble's field notes report that the specimens collected at Finzel were
taken in a hemlock and rhododendron swamp, and those at Bittinger,
Garrett County, deep in a hemlock forest.
This shrew does not hibernate, and in general is active at all hours
of the day and night. Its weak feet are not adapted for digging bur-
rows, and it occupies those made by larger mammals such as the hairy-
tailed mole, short-tailed shrew, red-backed mouse, and pine mouse. The
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 25
nests are located at various places in these tunnels, a favorite being
under a log or stump. These nests, usually made of shredded leaves, are
roughly spherical in shape and about the size of a baseball. They gen-
erally are situated some 4 to 19 inches below the surface of the ground.
Breeding in this species may begin in late March and the earlier
litters appear in early May. As many as three litters may be produced
each season, the last appearing in late August. The gestation period
is about 20 days, and the young number from 3 to 10, 5 or 6 being
the most common.
Hamilton (1940, p. 480) lists the foods of the smoky shrew as the
following: insects, earthworms, vegetables, centipedes, snails, sala-
manders, mammals, sowbugs, spiders, and birds.
Hamilton ( 1943, p. 486) believes that adults, after completing their
reproductive duties, die of old age when 14 to 17 months of age.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 4 (Coll.
U. Md.) . Garrett County: Bittinger, 3 ; Finzel, 6 ; Swallow Falls State
Forest, 3.
Other records and reports. — Garrett County: Cranesville Swamp,
one mile SE (Coll. U. Mich.) ; Sang Run (Coll. Maryland Nat. Hist.
Soc.).
LONG-TAILED SHREW
Sorex dispar dispar Batchelder
Sorex macrurus Batchelder, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 10: 133,
8 December 1896. Not S. macrourus Lehmann, 1822.
Sorex dispar Batchelder, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 24 : 9Y, 15 May
1911. (A renaming of S. macrurus Batchelder.)
Type locality. — Beede's (sometimes called I^nne Heights), in township of
Keene, Essex County, N.Y.
General distribution. — Mountainous regions of the eastern United States, from
Maine south into North Carolina and Tennessee.
Distribution in Maryland. — Allegheny Mountain section ; may occur
at higher elevations in Ridge and Valley section. It has been taken in
Maryland only at Muddy Creek Falls, in Swallow Falls State Forest,
Garrett County (Mansueti and Flyger, 1952, p. 250). It is one of the
rarest shrews in Maryland.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar to Sorex fumeus., but with
a longer tail, somewhat smaller size, and a uniform slate-gray colora-
tion in all pelages. Tooth formula as in Sorex cinereu^, with third
unicuspid equal to fourth in size.
Measurements. — External measurements of the type as given in the
original description are : Total length 130 ; tail 60 ; hind foot 15 ; ear 10.
26
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Sorex dispar dispar
O Specimens reported
Figure 7. — Distribution of Sorex dispar dispar.
Some cranial measurements of the type as given by Jackson (1928,
p. 90) are: Condylobasal length of skull 18.2; cranial breadth 8.1;
interorbital breadth 3.5 ; maxillary toothrow 6.1.
Habitat and habits. — This shrew prefers moist rocky areas and the
crevices between boulders, and large masses of rocks. It has also been
taken under moss-covered logs in damp coniferous forests. Mansueti
and Flyger (1952, p. 250) report that the three specimens they col-
lected on 6 September 1950, at Muddy Creek Falls, in Swallow Falls
State Forest, Garrett County, at an altitude of 2,200 feet, were taken
in snap traps placed on ledges in crevices of outcropping sandstone 2
or 3 feet above a small stream's level in a relatively cool moist hemlock
and rhododendron forest. Charles O. Handley, Jr. (1956, p. 435) says
that the Virginia specimen he took on Big Mountain, Giles County, in
September of 1955 was secured in a trap set about 12 inches below the
surface in a patch of talus.
Very little is known of the habits of this species, but in all proba-
bility it differs little from other long-tailed shrews. Hamilton (1943,
p. 39) says that G. H. H. Tate collected a female with 2 embryos in
late August in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
Records and reports. — Garrett County: Swallow Falls State Forest,
at Muddy Creek Falls (Mansueti and Flyger, 1952).
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND^
27
PIGMY SHREW
Microsorex hoyi winnetnana Preble
Microsorex winnemana Preble, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 23 : 101,
24 June 1910.
Type locality. — Bank of Potomac River near Stubblefield Falls, Fairfax
County, Va.
General distribution. — Maryland, south into western North Carolina.
Distribution in Mart/land. — May occur in all sections, but is rare.
It has been taken in Maryland only at Berwyn, Prince Georges
County.
Distinguishing characteristics. — This is the smallest mammal in
North America and possibly the smallest in the world with respect to
weight. Externally it resembles Sorex cinereus and Sorex longirostris.,
but is smaller and darker (less reddish) and has a shorter tail. Al-
though the tooth formula is the same as that of the genus Sorex.^ there
are certain peculiarities in the upper unicuspid toothrow which dis-
tinguish it. The third upper unicuspid is minute and disklike, com-
pressed anteroposteriorly between the second and fourth unicuspids,
and is not visible when the jaw is viewed laterally. The fifth unicuspid
is minute and peglike, and is also not visible in side view, so that only
three unicuspids can be seen in the side view of the upper jaw (first,
Figure 8. — Distribution of Microsorex hoyi winnemana.
28 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
second, and fourth). This differs from the genus Sorex in which four
or five unicuspids are always visible when the skull is viewed laterally.
Measurements. — External measurements of the Berwyn specimen are
as follows : Total length 86 ; tail 29 ; hind foot 9.5. The skull of this
specimen is crushed, but some cranial measurements of the type, as
given by Jackson (1928, p. 210) are: Condylobasal length of skull
13.0; cranial breadth 6.1 ; interorbital breadth 2.7 ; maxillary toothrow
4.1.
Habitat and habits. — These rare shrews are little known. The type
specimen was dislodged from the decayed interior of a large fallen
log, and the specimen from Berwyn was found in the decayed heart
of a dead chestnut tree, cut from a dry hillside at some distance from
water.
Specimens examined. — Prvnce Georges Cov/nty: Berwyn, 1.
SHORT-TAILED SHREW
Blarina brevicauda kirtlandi Bole and Moulthrop
Blarina brevicauda kirtlandi Bole and Moulthrop, Sci. Publ. Cleve-
land Mus. Nat. Hist., 5: 99, 11 September 1942.
Type locality. — The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland Township, Lake County, and
Chardon Township, Geauga County, Ohio. (The county line bisects the type
locality. )
General distribution. — Ranges from northwestern Michigan, eastern Wisconsin,
and Illinois, east throughout most of Pennsylvania to central New Jersey and
southward through Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia to southwestern
Virginia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Abundant in suitable habitat in all
sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — A large, short -tailed, slate-colored
shrew, with a shorter blunter muzzle than any of the shrews previously
discussed. The tooth formula is as in Sorex., with the fifth unicuspid
being minute. The teeth are generally darkly tinged with reddish
brown.
Measurements. — Thirty-seven adults from the vicinity of Annapolis,
Anne Arundel County, average as follows: Total length 115.2 (107-
122) ; tail 23.3 (19-27) ; hind foot 14.4 (13-15). Seventeen adults from
the vicinity of Annapolis have the following cranial measurements :
Condylobasal length 21.9 (20.8-22.7); mastoidal breadth 12.1 (11.4-
12.8) ; interorbital breadth 5.8 (5.3-6.1) ; maxillary breadth 7.7 (7.3-
8.0) ; unicuspid toothrow 8.6 (7.9-8.9).
Measurements of eight adults from Cambridge, Dorchester County
(Coll. K.U.), are: Total length 103.6 (101-107) ; tail vertebrae 23.1
(20-25.5) ; hind foot 13.6 (13-14.5) ; condylobasal length of skull 21.0
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
29
r r
7-
7,6-
rV
i
1
U/////////
^8
-39«-
-38*-
SCA L E
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Blanna breviaauda kirtlandi
# Specimens examined
Specimens reported
T T*
1
76*
aoM
Figure 9. — Distribution of Blarina brevicauda kirtlandi.
(20.5-21.7) ; mastoidal breadth 11.3 (11.0-11.7) ; interorbital breadth
5.4 (5.3-5.6) ; maxillary breadth 7.3 (7.1-7.6) ; unicus,pid toothrow 7.6
(7.2-8.2).
Habitat and habits. — This is one of the most abundant mammals in
Maryland. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, but is most numer-
ous in damp woods where there is a thick understory. It is also en-
countered in meadows and old fields, but not on the Atlantic barrier
beaches of the Delmarva Peninsula, where many weeks of trapping on
Assateague Island failed to uncover a single specimen. Elsewhere in
the State, this shrew vies with the meadow mouse and the white- footed
mouse in abundance, but does appear to be cyclical as regards numbers,
and in some years is more plentiful than in others.
The short-tailed shrew, like other Maryland shrews, is active the
year around, neither hibernating nor migrating. It is abroad both
during daylight hours and at night. It is quick and energetic in its
actions, and appears to be constantly on the go during its periods of
activity. Its runways zigzag in all directions and lie on the surface of
the ground just beneath the vegetation or litter. In these runways, the
short-tailed shrew constructs two types of nests. One of these is a
small resting nest, and the other a much larger breeding nest. The lat-
ter may be some 6 to 10 inches long and averages about 4 inches in
diameter. The nests are made of leaves, shredded grasses, and other
336-897 0—69 3
30 NORTH AMERICAN; FAUNA 66
vegetable fibers. In general, these nests are not as finely made as most
mouse nests.
The breeding season for this species extends from March to Sep-
tember, and usually two or three broods of young are reared each
season. The gestation period is from 21 to 22 days, and between 3 and
10 young may be produced, although the average number is slightly
below 7. These young leave the nest in 18 to 20 days, and by the time
they are 3 months of age they are essentially mature animals. This
shrew may live up to 3 years, but the life span is usually less than this,
probably not more than 18 or 20 months.
This species has a voracious appetite. Hamilton (1930, p. 30) found
that an examination of 244 intestinal tracts from New York State
Blarina yielded the following food percentages : Insects 47.8, arachnids
2, millipedes 1.7, vertebrates 4.1, crustaceans 6.7, mollusks 5.4, annelids
7.2, centipedes 3.8, plant matter 11.4, inorganic matter 2.3, and un-
determinable material 5.2. Only 1.7 percent of the stomachs examined
were empty.
The bite of this shrew is poisonous. Pearson (1942) found that a
poisonous extract could be prepared from the submaxillary salivary
glands of this species and that a toxic material is also present in
the saliva and may be introduced into wounds made by the teeth, but
because of the small size of the animal its bite probably would have
little if any effect on man. There have been reports, however, of
distress following the bite of a shrew. Maynard (1889) says that
when he was bitten by one of them he experienced considerable pain
and swelling in the vicinity of the wound which persisted for a week
or longer. Others have been bitten repeatedly by shrews of this species
and have experienced no after effects whatsoever other than the distress
accompanying the actual breaking of the skin by the sharp teeth.
These shrews appear to be somewhat more gregarious than most other
species of shrews. It is not uncommon to capture a specimen each night
for 4 or 5 consecutive nights in a trap set in the same place, indicating
that the animals are using the same runways if not actually associating
with each other. It may be stated, however, that in general this shrew
is solitary and pugnacious both to its own kind and to any other
creature it may encounter.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County : Frostburg, 1 (Coll. Frost-
burg State College); Mount Savage, 42; Oldtown (near), 7. Arnrie
Arvmdel County : Annapolis (near), 40; South River and U.S. Route
50 (junction of), 1. Baltimore City : 1. Baltimore County: Dulaney
Valley, 1 ; Loch Raven, 1. Calvert Cowity: Breezy Point, 2 ; Chesapeake
Beach, 1 ; Cypress Swamp along Battle Creek, 2 ; Hungerf ord Creek,
314 miles N of Solomons, 1; Marine Training Base, % mile N of
Solomons, 13 ; Plum Point, 1 ; Scientist Cliffs, 2 ; Solomons, 2. Charles
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 31
Cownty: Benedict, 1 ; Marshall Hall, 1 ; Newport, 7. Dorchester Coun-
ty : Cambridge, 15 (14 in Coll. K.U.). Garrett County: Bittinger, 5;
Cranberry Swamp, 1 ; Finzel, 13 ; Grantsville, 5 ; Mountain Lake Park,
2; Swallow Falls State Forest, 2; S wanton, 4; "Wolf Swamp, 2. Mont-
gomery Cownty: Burnt Mills, 2; Cabin John, 1; Cropley, 2; German-
town, 1 ; Kensington, 1 mile N, 2 ; Plummers Island, 3 ; Poolesville, 1 ;
Kockville, 17 ; Rockville, 2.3 miles NE, 6 ; Sandy Spring, 6 ; Seneca, 3 ;
Sececa Creek at Clopper Road (Route 117), 1; Silver Spring, 6;
Takoma Park, 1. Prince Georges Cownty: Northwest Branch Ana-
costia River, 1 ; Hyattsville, 5 ; Lanham, 1 ; Laurel, 4 ; Mitchellsville,
1 mile W., 2 ; Oxon Hill, 12 ; Prince Georges County Sphagnum Bog, 1.
Worcester Cownty : Mills Island, 2 (skulls from owl pellets) ; Snow
Hill, 5 miles NE, 1. District of Columbia: 107.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore Cownty: Lake Roland
(Bures, 1948, p. 62) ; Towson (Gentile, 1949, p. 11) . Frederick Cownty:
Locust Grove (Merriam, 1895, p. 13). Kent County: Chestertown
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files). Prince Georges County:
Bladensburg (Bailey, 1896, p. 100).
Remarhs. — This species is in need of revision throughout its range.
Pending this, only tentative conclusions may be reached regarding the
various races and their distribution. At present it appears that three
subspecies are distributed along the northeastern coast of the United
States. The most northerly race, talpoides^ ranges throughout most of
New England, New York, extreme northern Pennsylvania, and north-
ern New Jersey. It is a large pale race, with an elevated cranium and
a long slender rostrum. Distribtued along the east coast to the south of
talfoides is kirtlandi from northeastern Ohio, ranging throughout
most of Pennsylvania, central and southern New Jersey, Delaware,
Maryland, and West Virginia into southwestern Virginia. It is some-
what smaller and darker than talpoides and has a shorter, broader
rostrum. Distributed to the south of kirtlandi is the very small dark
southern race carolinensis. Several authorities have considered the
range of carolinensis to extend north to Cambridge, Dorchester County,
Md. (Bole and Moulthrop, 1942, p. 108; Gardner, 1950a, p. 67; Jones
and Findley, 1954, p. 210). I have examined a number of specimens
from this locality (as well as series from farther south on the Delmarva
Peninsula) and consider them to be intergrades between carolinensis
and kirtlandi^ but closer to kirtlandi and referable to that race. The
intergrading character of this population is reflected primarily in
smaller size, particularly as regards external measurements. The aver-
age total length of eight specimens from Cambridge is 103.6 mm. as
contrasted with 97.4 mm. for eight specimens from South Carolina
(near the type locality of carolinensis) and 116 for the type specimen
32 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
of kirtlaifidi from northeastern Ohio. Cranially, eight adults from
Cambridge average closer in size to kirtJundi and have an average con-
dylobasal length of 21.0 and a mastoidal breadth of 11.3, contrasted
with an average condylobasal length of 18.4 and mastoidal breadth of
10.1 in typical carolinensis (25 specimens from Raleigh, N.C.) and 21.0
and 11.9 in the type specimen of kirtlandi. Apparently the entire south-
em portion of the Delmarva Peninsula is an area of intergradation be-
tween kirtlandi and carolinensis. Specimens I have examined from
near Wattsville, Accomack County, Va., and Cape Charles at the
southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula in Northampton County, Va.,
although .still decidedly referable to kirtlandi, are smaller in size both
externally and cranially than typical kirtlandi and appear to be ap-
proaching carolinsnsis.
LEAST SHREW
Cryptotis parva (Say)
Sorex jyarvus Say, in Long, Account of an expedition from Pittsburg
to the Rocky Mountains, . . . 1 : 163, 1823.
Type locality. — West bank of Missouri River, near Blair, formerly Engineer
Cantonment, Washington County, Nebr.
General distribution. — The species is distributed over most of the eastern and
midwestern United States, from central New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min-
nesota, and South Dakota, south to Florida in the east, and northeastern Mexico
in the west.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/1, 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, = 30; small
size; brownish coloration; short tail. Most closely resembles Blarina
brevicauda but is smaller, more brownish, and has 30 teeth instead
of 32. It may be distinguished from all other shrews in Maryland by
its short tail.
Measurements. — Six adults from 3/4 mile N of Solomons Island,
Calvert County, measury as follows: Total length 76.3 (74-80) ; tail
15.2 (1^16) ; hind foot 10(10-11) ; condylobasal length of skull 15.2
(15.0-15.6) ; palatal length 6.5 (6.4-6.9) ; cranial breadth 7.7 (7.6-
8.0) ; interorbital constriction 3.6 (3.5-3.7) ; maxillary breadth 5.0
(5.0-5.1) ; molar toothrow 5.4 (5.2-5.6).
Habitat and habits. — Most commonly found in dry fallow fields and
stubble in the uplands, and in the marshes in the coastal areas. This
shrew appears to be abundant in some places, and scarce or absent in
almost identical habitat elsewhere. Along with Microtus pennsyl-
vam-cus, it is the most frequently taken small mammal on Assateague
Island, where it occurs everywhere except on the sparsely vegetated
beach dunes. Another area of abundance for the species is the dry
fallow fields of southern Maryland. In such a field, three-fourth mile
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
33
r 1
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Cryptotis parua parva
^^^y/Z/Y'
A '^^'Z^Wa/A^
Specimens examined
iw//ll/V/4'>
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O Specimens reported
^cx^'^jwjy/
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Figure 10. — Distribution of Cryptotis parva parva.
N of Solomons, Calvert County, this shrew was taken in traps as often
as the short-tailed shrew and the house mouse.
This small shrew generally follows the runways of larger mice and
shrews, but it also constructs runways of its own. In soft ground it
sometimes uses its snout to push dirt away, and by worming its way
along may make a tunnel. These small burrows are not much different
from those made by certain large beetles or other insects and are diffi-
cult to identify. The nest of this species is usually placed in a slight
hollow on the surface of the ground, or under a rock or log. Rarely
is it located beneath the ground and then only at a depth of 4 or 5
inches or less. Sometimes it will utilize artificial objects such as tin
cans in which to nest. The structure of the nest is globular, and com-
posed of dry grass and leaves.
The breeding season for this species is from March to November, and
young, born early in the spring, usually breed within the year. The
gestation period is about 16 days, and between four and five broods
may be produced during a season. The number of young per litter
varies from three to nine, with the usual number being four to six.
The food of this species, like that of other shrews, consists primarily
of insects and other animal matter. It is known to eat beetles, bugs,
grasshoppers, earthworms, millipedes, and snails. It is also said to be
fond of salamanders, frogs, and broods of young honeybees.
34 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
Unlike most other shrews, the least shrew is gregarious, and may
be said to be almost colonial in habits. Jackson (1961, p. 58) says that
often when a log, slab, or rock is overturned four to eight or more of
these little shrews may be found living together underneath. Maurice
K. Brady of Washington, D.C., told Jackson that in Virginia near
Washington in 1925 he uncovered a nest of this species which con-
tained 25 Cryptotis^ all in a pile.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Oldtown, 9 miles E, 1.
Anns Arundel County: Annapolis (vicinity), 2. Baltimore County:
Lock Raven Reservoir, 1. Calvert County: Solomons, 1; Solomons,
% mile N, 7. Charles County: Newport, 1. Dorchester County : Black-
water National Wildlife Refuge, 1. Montgoinery County : Bethesda,
1 ; Kensington, 13 ; Poolesville, 1 ; Sandy Spring, 19. Prmce Georges
County: Laurel, 6; Oxon Hill, 1; Patuxent Research Center, 5. Qusen
Annes County: Parson Island, 1. Worcester County: Ocean City, 4
and 5 miles S, 7; Ocean City, 15 miles S, 1; Chincoteague Bay, 2.
District of Columbia : 8.
Other records and reports. — Montgomery County : Seneca (Kilham,
1954, p. 252).
Remarks. — This species is in need of revision over its entire range.
Until this revision is completed, all specimens from Marvland are
provisionally referred to Cryptotis parva parva.
Family TALPIDAE (moles)
HAIRY-TAILED MOLE
Parascalops breweri (Bach man)
Scalops breweri Bachman, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., 4 : 32, 1842.
Type locality. — Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (there is some question,
however, whether this species ever occurred on Martha's Vineyard Island).
General distribution. — Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, south
in the Appalachians to western North Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs at higher elevations in the
Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and Valley sections.
Distinguishing characteristics.— Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 3/3, = 44; tail
short and hairy; coloration dark slate to black dorsally, slightly paler
below; pelage soft and thick, but somewhat coarser than in the eastern
mole {Scalopus aguaticus) ; palms enlarged and nearly circular in out-
line; toes not webbed.
This species can readily be distinguished from the eastern mole
by its hairy tail, and from the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata)
by the absence of nasal projections.
Measurements. — Jackson (1915 : 80) gives external measurements of
eight males from Magnetic City, N.C., as follows : Total length 149.5
MAMMALS OF MARYLANiD
35
SCALE
o
lo 20
ao MILES
Parascalops
hrewevi.
•
Specimen
s examined
O
Specimer
s reported
Figure 11. — Distribution of Parascalops ireweri.
(139-152) ; tail vertebrae 30 (23-36) ; hind foot 19.5 (18-20). He gives
some measurements of the skulls of 10 adult males from Magnetic
City as follows: Greatest length 32.4 (31-33.8); mastoidal breadth
14.5 (13.9-15) ; interorbital breadth 7.3 (7.1-7.5) ; maxillary toothrow
9.9 (9.2-10.2) . Females average smaller than males.
A male (probably immature) from Vale Summit Road, between
Clarysville and Vale Summit, Allegany County, has the following
external measurements: total length 136; tail 22; hind foot 16. This
animal weighed 35.7 grams.
Habitat and habits. — In Maryland this mole is found only at high
elevations in the western part of the State, where it lives in loose
well-drained light soils. It may be found in pastureland, as well as
in the deep woods, but is seldom encountered in damp areas or in clay
soils. Although the eastern mole {Scalojms aquaticus) also occurs in
western Maryland, it appears to be ecologically or at least altitudin-
ally separated from the hairy-tailed mole. The eastern mole has been
taken in the lowlands ; the hairy-tail only at higher elevations.
This species makes irregular subsurface runways which form an
elaborate network. In the winter these tunnels are deep so as to avoid
the freezing temperatures of the upper layers of earth. Nests are con-
structed in these deep burrows, some 10 to 20 inches below the surface
of the ground. These are made of dried grasses and leaves, and are
some 6 inches in circumference.
36 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
Mating occurs in March or April, and four to five young are
produced in late April or May after a gestation period of probably a
month. The young moles develop rapidly and are able to shift for
themselves within a month. They are sexually mature and able to
breed the following spring.
The primary foods of this species are earthworms, insects, insect
larvae, and other arthropods. They are very voracious eaters, and
Hamilton (1943, p. 27) reports that a captive mole of this species
weighing 50 grams consumed 66 grams of earthworms and insect
larvae within a 24-hour period.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 1. (Coll.
U. Md.) ; Vale Summit Road, between Clarysville and Vale Summit,
1 (Coll. U.Md.).
Other records and re-ports. — Allegany County: Warrior Mountain
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files). Garrett County: Grantsville,
near (Coll. U.Mich.).
Remarks. — Two specimens of this species from Grantsville, Garrett
County, collected 28-29 August 1949 by J. A. King, and now stored in
the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, are the first actually
taken in this State. The species, however, is probably not as rare in
western Maryland as the few trapping records and reports would
indicate.
EASTERN MOLE
Scalopus aquaticus aquaticus (Linnaeus)
(Sorex) aquaticus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1 : 53, 1758.
Type locality. — Philadelphia, Pa. ( Fixed by Jackson, N. Amer. Fauna 38, p. 33,
30 September 1915).
General distrihution. — Eastern United States, from southern New England,
and New York State, south to Virginia, and in the Appalachian Mountains
south to Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Eastern Shore, Western Shore, and
Piedmont sections and at lower elevations in the Ridge and Valley
and Allegheny Mountain sections. Rare or absent apparently in the
Ridge and Valley, and Allegheny Mountain sections at elevations over
2,000 feet.
Distinguishing characteristics.— Teeth 3/2, 1/0, 3/3, 3/3, = 36; fore-
feet broad and greatly enlarged, adapted for digging; body stout and
cyclindrical; pelage soft and velvety, black to brownish black in
coloration; tail short and naked; eyes and ears small and not visible
on superficial examination.
Differs from the hairy -tailed mole {Parascalops hrewcri) in that the
tail is short and naked, and from the star-nosed mole {Corvdylura
cristata) in that the snout is without fleshy projections.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAISTD
37
79-
1
r
77-
7,fe«
rV
^
/m
"^^^
WMM
M
-39°-
SCALE
O lO 20
30 MILES
J y /m/\^J/ //^i-
8
-33°-
Scalopus aquai
• Specimens
icus aquations
examined
^//T/jy//^
-3B--
O Specimens
reported
^^^
Ci
1
79-
1
T*
1
76°
aoM
Figure 12. — Distribution of Scalopus aquaticus aquaticus.
Measurements. — Jackson (1915, p. 34) gives external measurements
of 15 adult males from Washington, D.C., as follows: Total length
163.4 (154-175) ; tail vertebrae 26.5 (22-29) ; hind foot 19.8 (18-21).
Cranial measurements for 21 adult males from Washington and
vicinity are: Greatest length 34.3 (33.2-35.6) ; mastoidal breadth 17.7
(17-18.3) ; interorbital breadth 7.4 (7.2-7.8) ; maxillary toothrow 10.8
(10.4-11.3) . Females average smaller than males in size.
Habitat and habits. — The eastern mole normally lives in sandy soils
and light loams in meadows, pastures, cultivated fields, gardens, lawns,
and thin woods. Rocky areas and swamps are generally avoided since
they are barriers to the mole's burrowing activity. It does, however,
prefer moist situations to dry ones. Very sandy regions, such as the
barrier beaches that line Maryland's ocean front, are apparently un-
favorable to the eastern mole, and many weeks of searching for their
signs near Ocean City, Worcester County, and on Assateague Island to
the south proved fruitless. Bures (1948, pp. 61-62), found moles in the
Bare Hills-Lake Roland area of Baltimore County to be restricted to
the moist or wet soil bordering the Lake and along the two streams
that empty into Jones' Falls. He says that numerous individuals were
observed at work on the lawns of propei'ty fronting Falls Road. In the
Ridge and Valley and Allegheny Mountain sections, there is evidence
that this species occurs only in the lowlands, whereas higher up on the
38 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA m
mountains it is replaced by the hairy-tailed mole. In Mason County,
W. Va., McKeever et al, (1952, p. 25) found an eastern mole inhabit-
ing the sandy soil of the Ohio River bottomland and a hairy-tailed
mole in the nearby forest-covered hills. This distribution occurs in the
Appalachians in general, including the Ridge and Valley and Alle-
gheny Mountain sections of Maryland.
The eastern mole does not hibernate, but is active the year round.
It constructs a series of burrows just beneath the surface of the ground
during wet weather to facilitate the capture of earthworms which
form a major part of its diet. In dry and cold weather this species digs
deeper permanent burrows some 10 or more inches below the surface.
Rarely does the eastern mole emerge from its subterranean burrows
and prowl about above ground. A nest is built in one of the permanent
burrows, which may be from 5 to 18 inches down, usually under the
roots of shrubs or stumps. It is most often made from grass and root-
lets, but occasionally leaves are employed. This nest is placed on the
bottom of a flattened ellipsoidal enlargement of the tunnel, the length
of which is about 8 inches and the diameter about 5.
Mating in this species takes place in March and continues into April.
The young are bom in the latter part of April or in May. The gesta-
tion period is about 45 days, and from two to five young are bom each
season. By the time a young mole is 5 weeks of age it is more than half
the size of the mother.
Eighty percent of the diet of the eastern mole is animal matter, con-
sisting primarily of worms, insects, and insect larvae. Some of the
favorite foods are beetles, earthworms, wireworms, white grubs, spi-
ders, centipedes, millipedes, slugs, and insect and mollusk eggs. Some
of the plant matter consumed are corn, potatoes, grass, tomatoes, ap-
ples and occasionally wheat and oats. The eastern mole is a voracious
eater and in 24 hours may consume a quantity of food equal to its
weight.
Moles are harmful when they disfigure lawns and provide highways in gardens
for field and pine mice. Their destruction of insects places them in a more favor-
able light. A friend once told me that these moles had almost eliminated the
larvae of Japanese beetles on his grounds. Tunneling activities of moles aid in
the formation of soil. (Hamilton, 1943, pp. 23-24) .
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Cumberland, 3 (Coll. U.
Md.). Anne Ai^ndel County: Annapolis, 3 miles NW, 1 ; no exact lo-
cality, 2. Baltimore City: 2. Calvert County: Chesapeake Beach, 1;
Plum Point, 1; Solomons, 4 miles N, 1. Charles County : Newport, 3.
Hoicard County: no exact locality, 1 (embryo in alcohol). Montgom-
ery County: Cabin John, 2; Capitol View, 1; Chevy Chase, 1; Plum-
mers Island, 5 ; Rockville, 2 ; Seven Locks, 1 ; Silver Spring, 4 ; Wood-
side, 4. Prince Georges County : Beltsville, 2 ; Berwyn, 1 ; Branch ville,
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 39
4; Brookland, 1 ; Highland, 1 ; Landover, 2 ; Laurel, 13 ; Mount Rainier,
1 ; Patuxent Research Center, 1. District of Columbia: 83.
Other records and reports. — Anne Arundel County: Severna Park
(Cooper, 1953, p. 79). Baltimore County: Lake Roland (Bures, 1948,
p. 61); Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 5). Montgomery
County: Forest Glen (Bailey, 1896, p. 100) .
STAR-NOSED MOLE
Condylura cristata cristata (Linnaeus)
{Sorex) cristatus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 53, 1758.
Type locality. — Eastern Pennsylvania.
General distribution. — Southeastern Canada, and northeastern United States,
south to central Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, eastern West Virginia,
and northern Virginia.
Distribution in Maryland. — ^Locally abundant in all sections of the
State although apparently rare or absent in some areas with suitable
habitat.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 3/3, = 44; body
form mole-like, but more slender; forefeet broad and enlarged for
digging, but not to the same extent as in SccUopus; pelage black in
coloration, somewhat harsher in texture than that of Scalopus; tail
long, and at certain times of the year enlarged. The most distinctive
feature of this mole is the snout, which is fringed with 22 pink pro-
jections, or tentacles, and is responsible for the popular name of the
animal.
Measurements. — Two adults from the District of Columbia measure
as follows: Total length 183, 185; tail vertebrae 65, 66; hind foot 28,
28; greatest length of skull 33.9, 33.4; mastoidal breadth 12.8, 12.8;
interorbital breadth 6.8, 6.7 ; maxillary toothrow 6.6, 6.3.
Habitat and habits. — The star-nosed mole prefers damp habitat in
meadows, fields, woods, or swamps, but is sometimes taken in the leaf
mold of dense forests, or in relatively dry fields in which there are
a few damp spots from which its tunnels radiate. Occasionally it is
found at a considerable distance from any water. One specimen was
captured in June 1958 in the lower Eastern Shore section near Watts-
ville, Accomack County, Va., a few miles from the Maryland boundary.
It was taken in a museum special mouse trap set in a surface runway
in dry meadow at least a fourth of a mile from the nearest water.
Generally, however, the star- nosed mole will be encountered in very
wet situations, and its tunnels frequently lead directly into a stream
or pool. This animal is an efficient swimmer, using its broad forefeet
as oars and its tail as a scull.
40
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Condylura aristata aristata
% Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 13. — Distribution of Condylura cristata cristata.
The star-nosed mole is less fossorial than the eastern or hairy-
tailed moles; it is active both day and night, summer and winter.
It often uses surface runways, and sometimes in the winter it will
burrow in the snow, or even run across it. The tunnels that this species
digs are more irregular in pattern than those of other Maryland moles.
These burrows are deep in places, and then abruptly rise to near the
surface. Frequently the tunnels enter the bank of a stream a foot
or more below the water line. The nest of the star-nosed mole is
constructed of leaves and grass and is located in a flattened spherical
chamber about 5 or 6 inches in diameter and some 4 or 5 inches high.
It is usually placed 3 or 4 inches below the surface of the ground, but
may be as much as 10 inches down. It is always, however, above the
high water level.
It is believed that star-nosed moles pair in the autumn and remain
together until the young are born. Breeding occurs in the spring, and
birth is from April to June, the gestation period being about 45 days.
There is only a single litter per year, and the size of the litter varies
from three to seven, six being the usual number. The young mature
rapidly and are ready to leave the nest within about a month's time.
Star-nosed moles are more gregarious than other eastern moles, and
may perhaps, be colonial, although colonies are probably formed
through family lineage.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 41
Star-nosed moles are amphibious, and spend a good deal of time in
water. They are excellent swimmers and divers, and a large portion
of their food consists of aquatic insects and worms, only about one
fourth of the diet being composed of terrestrial forms.
Specimens examined. — Charles County: Marshall Hall, 1. Garrett
County: Cranesville Swamp, 1. Howard County: Ellicott City, 1.
Montgomery County: Brookeville, 1 ; Burnt Mills, 1 ; Cabin John, 1 ;
Chevy Chase, 1 ; Chevy Chase Lake, 1 ; Oakdale, 1 ; Plummers Island,
1; Potomac P.O., 1; Sandy Spring, 1; Silver Spring, 1; Woodside,
2. Prince Georges County: Beltsville, 1; College Park, 2; Glenndale,
1 ; Lanham, 1 ; Laurel, 2 ; Patuxent River Marsh, 1 ; no exact locality,
1. District of Columhia: 10.
Other records and, reports. — Prince Georges County: Branch ville
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files). Washington County: Wil-
liamsport (Jackson, 1915, p. 91) ,
Remarks. — Maryland specimens average somewhat smaller in size,
both externally and cranially than typical C. c. cristata., and are tend-
ing in this character toward the smaller southern subspecies C. c.
pa^rva.
Order CHIROPTERA (bats)
Family VESPERTILIONIDAE (vespertllionid bats)
LITTLE BROWN MYOTIS
Myotis lucifugus lucifugus (Le Conte)
y[espertilio]. lucifugus Le Conte, in McMurtrie, The animal kingdom
. . . bytheBaronCuvier,vol. l,App.,p.431, 1831.
Type locality. — Georgia; probably the Le Conte plantation near Riceboro,
Liberty County.
General distribution. — Eastern and northern North American from Alaska
and Labrador south in the Appalachians to Georgia, and west into Arkansas.
Distribution in Maryland. — Abundant in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 2/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3, = 38; face
covered with fur except for lips and nostrils; ears moderately long,
not extending beyond nostrils when laid forward; tragus slender and
pcinted; wing membrane between humerus and knee sparsely furred;
interfemoral membrane not furred; coloration rich brown, almost
bronze; v^ung animals much darker in coloration; sagittal crest
usually lacking on sk^oll,
Measureinents. — Eight adults from the District of Columbia have
external measurements as foUow^s: Total length 85.6 (80-95); tail
vertebrae 38.5 (36-42) ; hind foot 8.9 (8.0-10.5). Some cranial meas-
urements of seven adults from Washington, D.C., are as follows:
42
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
7 9- 7 6'
77*
76°
73
-39=-
-3B'-
SCALE
O lO 20 30MILES
JtUJiul ill
i
1 k
76°
7 7
1
Myotis lucifugus luaifugus
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
1 1
79' 78-
1 1
OOM
Figure 14. — Distribution of Myotis lucifugus lucifugus.
Greatest len^h 14.0 (13.7-14.2); zygomatic breadth 8.4 (8.0-9.1);
interorbital breadth 4.0 (3.9^.2) ; length of maxillary toothrow 5.1
(5.0-5.2).
Habitat and habits. — This species occurs almost everywhere, roost-
ing in the attics of houses, in hollow trees, or in caves. It is gregarious
by nature ; in the attic of one house near Seneca Point, Cecil County,
over 9,000 were found roosting at one time.
The little brown myotis hibernates in winter and, in some areas at
least, is migratory in habits, traveling "flyway" routes from winter
hibernating quarters to summering areas. During these migrations
they may travel as far as 100 to 150 miles or more, returning by similar
routes to their winter quartera The migratory patterns of Maryland's
little brown myotis have not been studied, but the files of the Bat
Banding Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contain two records
of movements of this species into the State. In both instances, the
little brown myotis were banded in Hellhole Cave, Pendleton County,
W. Va., in March 1964 and were picked up in the vicinity of Deep
Creek Lake in Garrett County in June and July of 1964. Perhaps
some of Maryland's Myotis lucifugus population winters in caves in
West Virginia and Virginia, and travels north to forage in Maryland
during the summer. Others that winter in Maryland may venture
further north into Pennsylvania in the summer months.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 48
Mating in this species usually occurs in the autumn, before the bats
enter hibernation. Normally the spermatozoa survive in the uterus
throughout the winter, and fertilization occurs the following spring.
Copulation, however, may occur during the winter or in the spring.
The gestation period probably is about 80 days, and the young are
bom in late May or early June. Usually only a single offspring com-
prises a litter, but occasionally two are produced. In about 4 weeks
after their birth, the young are flying and foraging for their own
food. Sexual maturity is achieved at about 8 months. There is only
one litter per season.
The food of the little brown myotis appears to be composed entirely
of insects, particularly nocturnal species of moths, beetles, and bugs.
It has a voracious appetite, consuming large numbers of insects
nightly.
This bat is long-lived; there are records of banded animals
recovered in good health as much as 20 years after banding.
Specimens examined. — Cecil County: Seneca Point, 1. Garrett
County : Oakland, 1. Montgomery County : Plmnmers Island, 1. Dis-
trict of Columbia : 29.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Patapsco State
Park (Bull. Nat. Hist. Soc. Maryland 10 (1), p. 5, 1939). Garrett
County: Deep Creek Lake (banding recovery record). Montgomery
County: Edwards Ferry (banding recovery record). Washington
County: Round Top Mountain, near Hancock (banding record).
Remarks. — This bat is far more common than the few locality
records above would indicate. It is probably the most abimdant bat
in Maryland.
KEEN'S MYOTIS
Myotis keenii septentrionalis (Trouessart)
[Vespertilio gryphu^] var. septentrionalis Trouessart, Catalogus
mammalium • • . , fasc. 1, p. 131, 1897.
Type locality. — Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
General distribution. — Eastern North America, from Newfoundland, Nova
Scotia, Quebce, and Ontario, south to northern Florida and west to Manitoba,
North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Arkansas.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in all sections of the State, and
is common.
Distinguishing characteristics. — This bat is similar in size and color
to the little brown myotis {Myotis lu^ifugus) , but may be distinguished
from that species by its long ears, which extend some 4 to 5 millimeters
beyond the tip of the nose when laid forward. The skull is narrower in
proportion to its length than that of the little brown myotis.
44
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
MijOtis keenii septentrionalis
Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 15. — Distribution of Myotis keemi septentrionaUs.
Measurements. — External measurements of three adults from
Plununers Island, Montgomery County, are as follows: Total length
81, 87, 75 ; tail vertebrae 38, 35, 35 ; hind foot 9, 9, 10. Some cranial
measurements of four adults from Plummers Island are : Greatest
length 14.5 (14.4r-14.7) ; zygomatic breadth 8.9 (8.8-9.0) ; interor-
bital breadth 3.6 (3.6-3.7) ; length of maxillary toothrow 5.9 (5.7-6.0).
Habitat and habits. — This species roosts in small colonies in caves,
and under loose bark on trees. Frequently it is found in association
with the little brown myotis, from which it differs little in habitat
selection or habits, except that it seems to be more solitary. Mansueti
(1941, pp. 56-57) found one sleeping under the bark of a dead stand-
ing tree near Arbutus, Baltimore County. When he peeled the bark
away, the bat flew to a nearby tree and crawled up under some loose
bark on it. This species is more abundant than the few Maryland
records indicate.
Specimens examined. — Baltimore County: Bare Hills, 1. Mont-
gomery County: Cabin John Bridge, 1; Plummers Island, 5. Prince
Georges County: Muirkirk, 1. District of Colwmbia: 4.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Arbutus (Man-
sueti, 1941); Lake Koland (Bures, 1948: 63). Montgomery County:
Forest Glen (Miller, 1897: 76). Washington County: Kound Top
Mountain, near Hancock (bat banding record, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service) .
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
45
INDIANA MYOTIS
My Otis sodalis Miller and G. M. Allen
Myotis sodalis Miller and G. M. Allen, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 144:
130, 25 May 1928.
Type locality. — Wyandotte Cave, Crawford County, Indiana.
General distribution. — Eastern United States from central New England west
to Wisconsin, Missouri, and Arkansas, south into northern Florida. It occurs
on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, however, only in the New England area.
Distribution in Maryland. — Apparently very rare in the State. Its
distribution is probably limited to limestone caves in the Ridge and
Valley and Allegheny Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Resembles Myotis hicifugus.^ but
differs in coloration, the fur being a dull grayish chestnut rather
than bronze, with the basal portion of the hairs of the back dull lead
colored; coloration of underparts pinkish to cinnamon; hind feet
smaller and more delicate than in M. lucifugus', slight, but well-de-
fined sagittal crest usually present on skull.
Measurements. — Two adults from the type locality in Indiana have
measurements as follows: Total length 86, 87; tail vertebrae 35, 38;
hind foot 9, 9; greatest length of skull 14.1, 13.9; zygomatic breadth
8.7, 8.3; interorbital breadth 3.8, 3.7; length of maxillary toothrow
5.5, 5.3.
Myotis sodalis
# Specimens examtn
O Specimens report
Figure 16. — Distribution of Myotis sodalis.
336-897 0—69 4
46 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
The skull of an adult from Oakland, Garrett County, measures:
Greatest length 13.7; zygomatic breadth 8.1; interorbital breadth
3.7 ; length of maxillary toothrow 5.0.
Habitat and habits. — This bat roosts almost exclusively in lime-
stone caves, preferring those in which there are considerable bodies
of water. It forms large colonies and is often found in association
with M. lucifugus. It is known from only 2 localities in Maryland.
Hall (1962) has thoroughly studied the life histoiy of this bat. He
found that at Blackball Mine, La Salle County, 111., the earliest date
for entrance into hibernation was 14 September. The major buildup
of the hibernating colony was during October and the first part of
November. The hibernating colony starts diminishing in early April,
and by the first week of June no sodalis are in hibernation. He esti-
mates that the average hibernation period for this species would be
from 15 October to 20 April, or 187 days. He found that large num-
bers of Indiana myotis accumulate in a few caves to hibernate, and
that for five consecutive winters the species was found in the same
seven caves and in no others in Edmondson County, Kentucky. This
species also occupies caves during the nonhibernating summer months,
and may be considered a true cave species.
As far as movements and migrations are concerned, Hall says that
the same individual may be present in one area winter and summer
whereas others may move as much as 250 miles between seasons. He
says that the few band recoveries indicate that certain movement
areas exist for certain populations. For instance, he found that one
such population range includes Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and south-
ern Ohio, and that no movement takes place between this area and
the Ozark area of Arkansas and Missouri.
Little is known regarding the feeding and breeding habits of M.
sodalis., but probably they are quite similar to those of M. lucifugus.
Like that species, M. sodalis is long-lived. One specimen banded in
Carter County, Ky., on 12 March 1950, was recovered in good health
14 years later on 8 January 1964, in the same cave.
SpecimeTis examined. — Garrett County: Near Oakland, 1.
Other records and reports. — Washington County: Round Top
Mountain, near Hancock (bat banding record, U.S. Fish and Wild-
life Service).
Remarks. — The skull of the Maryland specimen is small in all
measures, but otherwise appears to be typical M. sodalis. It has the
slight but perfectly defined sagittal crest which is generally present
in this species and lacking in M. lucifugus. Unfortunately, the skin is
missing from the National Museum collections.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
47
SMALL-FOOTED MYOTIS
Myotis subulatus leibii (Audubon and Bachman)
Vespertilio leibii Audubon and Bachman, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila-
delphia, ser. 1,8: 284, 1842.
Myotis winnemana Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXVI: 183, 8
August 1913. (Type from Plummers Island, Maryland.)
Type locality. — Brie Ck)unty, Ohio.
General distribution. — Ontario and southwestern Quebec, south to western
North Carolina, and west to southern Iowa, eastern Kansas, and northeastern
Oklahoma.
Distribution in Maryland. — Recorded from Plummers Island,
Montgomery County, and Round Top Mountain near Hancock, "Wash-
ington County. This species probably hibernates in caves in the Alle-
gheny Mountain section, and passes through the rest of the State
during migrations.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar to Myotis hicifugus, but
differs in its smaller size, golden tinted fur, black ears, black facial
mask, and shorter forearm. The skull is much flatter than that of M.
lu/)ifugus, and the braincase narrower.
Measurements. — Two adults from Plummers Island, Montgomery
County (the first the type of M. winncTnana Nelson) measure as fol-
lows : Total length 82, 80 ; tail vertebrae 39, 35 ; hind foot 8, 7 ; greatest
Myotis subulatus leibii
# Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 17. — Distribution of Myotis subulatus leibii.
4S NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
length of skull 13.7, 13.1; interorbital breadth 3.4, 3.3; length of
maxillary toothrow 5.1, 5.0.
Habitat and habits. — These bats probably hibernate in caves in the
wild forested regions of the Allegheny Mountains and migrate else-
where in the State during late winter and early spring. Most
specimens have been taken in caves located in hemlock forests. The
position of these bats as they hang on the walls or ceilings of the caves
is a definite means of identification. The arms, instead of hanging
parallel to the body, as generally found in M. lucifugus and other bats,
are extended about 30 degrees from the vertical. Little is known of the
feeding and breeding habits, but they are presumed to be similar to
M. lucifugus.
Specimens examined. — Montgomery County: Plummers Island, 2.
Other records and reports. — Washington Gownty: Round Top
Mountain, near Hancock (bat banding record, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service) .
SILVER-HAIRED BAT
Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte)
Vl^espertilio']. noctivagans Le Conte, in McMurtrie, The animal king-
dom ... by the Baron Cuvier, vol. 1, App., p. 431, 1831.
Type locality. — Eastern United States.
General distribution. — Nearly all of North America, from the tree line in
northern Canada, south to Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, and California.
Distribution in Maryland. — Probably breeds only in the Allegheny
Mountain section, but occurs in all sections of the State as a migrant
in the spring and the fall.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 2/3, 1/1, 2/3, 3/3, = 36; pelage
dark brownish-black, the ends of the hairs tipped with sUver, giving
a somewhat frosted effect, particularly along the middle of the back;
fur extends onto dorsal surface of interfemoral membrane; ears short
and rounded with broad, blunt tragus; skull flattened, and rostrum
broad.
Measurements. — An adult male from Plurmners Island, Montgomery
County has the following external measurements: Total length 116;
tail vertebrae 47; hind foot 10, Some cranial measurements of four
adults from Washington, D.C. are: Greatest length 15.8 (15.6-16.2) ;
zygomatic breadth (2 specimens) 9.9, 9.1; interorbital breadth 4.1
(4.0-4.3) ; length of maxillary toothrow 5.7 (5.6-5.8).
Habitat and habits. — This bat is found most frequently flying about
ponds and streams in wooded areas. It roosts in hollow trees, in dense
foliage, and occasionally in buildings. It is sociable and often en-
countered in large groups. As in many species of bats, there is a marked
MAMMALS OF MARYLANI>
49
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Lasionycteris nootivagans
# Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
^■liiiiiiiitf}
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FiQUEE 18. — Distribution of Lasionycteris noctivagans.
segregation of the sexes and the large colonies seem to be composed
primarily of females. Solitary animals are usually males.
The breeding habits of this species are not well known, but accord-
ing to Jackson (1961, p. 86) it usually has two young, bom blind and
nearly naked, the last part of June or early in July. The young remain
clinging to the breast of the mother until they are about 3 weeks old,
when they are able to fly and shift for themselves. A single litter is
produced each year.
The silver-haired bat feeds entirely on nocturnal insects, particularly
those that fly high in the woodlands or over the borders of watercourses
with wooded banks.
Specimens examined. — Montgomery County : Great Falls, 1 ; Plum-
mers Island, 1. Prince Georges County: Laurel, 1. District of Colum-
bia: 5.
Other records and reports. — Prince Georges County: Patuxent Re-
search Center (Gardner, 19506, p. 112) .
EASTERN PIPISTRELLE
Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus (F. Cuvler)
Ylespertiliol. subflavus F. Cuvier, Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris,
1 : 17, 1832.
Type locality. — Georgia, restricted to the LeConte Plantation, 3 miles SW Rice-
boro, Liberty County, by Davis (1959, p. 522) .
so NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
General distribution. — From central Minnesota and southern Quebec south into
Georgia and western Florida ; west to Oklahoma, Texas, and Tamaulipas. The
center of its abundance is the Ohio River Valley ; north of this it occurs locally
in summer (Davis and Mumford, 1962, p. 396).
Distribution in Maryland. — Probably ranges throughout all sections
of the State, although there are no records of it from the Eastern Shore
section.
Distinguishing characteristics.' — Teeth 2/3, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, = 34;
smallest bat in Maryland; coloration of dorsum grayish to reddish-
brown, each hair tricolored, plumbeous at base, dark brown at tip,
with central portion yellowish-brown; flight weak and erratic, giving
the animal somewhat the appearance of a large fluttering moth.
Measurements. — External measurements of 11 adults from Washing-
ton, D.C., are as follows : Total length 81.6 (75-90) ; tail 39.5 (37^2) ;
hind foot 8.5 (8.0-9.0). Some cranial measurements of 10 adults from
Washington are as follows: Greatest length 12.8 (12.4-13.1) ; zygo-
matic breadth 7.9 (7.7-8.2) ; interorbital breadth 3.5 (3.4-3.6) ; length
of maxillary toothrow 4.3 (4.2-4.4) .
Habitat and habits. — This is a wide-ranging species that hibernates
in caves, mine shafts, and rock crevices. During the summer months it
probably spends the daylight hours in trees, although it is sometimes
found in buildings. It is most frequently encountered in wooded areas
near water. The pipistrelle is believed to have a feeding range of at
least 5 or 6 miles, and a homing instinct has been demonstrated by
tracing banded bats for distances up to 80 miles. Individuals roost
year after year in the same cave.
Mating occurs in November, and young are born the last part of June
or early July. Usually two constitute a litter, but there are occasionally
triplets, and sometimes only a single offspring. By the time they are
about a month old they are able to fly, and shortly thereafter begin to
shift for themselves. Since pipistrelles are so small their food is proba-
bly restricted to insects such as flies, moths, and the smaller bugs and
beetles.
Despite their diminutive size, pipistrelles apparently have a long
life span. Banded individuals have been recovered in good health as
long as 10 years after they were originally tagged.
/Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County: Magatha R. ( = Ma-
gothy River?), 2. Charles County: Marshall Hall, 13. Garrett County:
Near Oakland, 1. Montgomery County: Capitol View, 1 ; Glen Echo, 1 ;
Great Falls, 1 ; Plummers Island, 2. Prince Georges County: Hyatts-
ville, 1; Laurel, 1; near D. C. line, 6. St. Marys County: St. George
Island, 4; District of Columbia: 40.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Bare Hills (Bures,
1948: 64); Orange Grove (Hampe, 1939: 5). Washington County:
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 51
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Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus
• Specimens examined
Specimens reported ^
18
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BOM
FiGUEE 19. — Distribution of Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus.
Keedysville, Snively's Cave No. 1 (bat banding record, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service) ; Round Top Mountain (bat banding record, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service) .
Remarks. — Two subspecies of Pipistrellus subflavus have been named
from the eastern United States, P. s. subflavus^ the typical form as
described above, and P. s. ohscums Miller (Type locality : Lake George,
Warren County, New York). Miller (1897, p. 93) described ohscums
as differing from subflavus only in coloration, being somewhat darker,
duller, and more yellowish. Several specimens from the vicinity of
Washington, D.C., in the national collections, are darker than typical
P. s. subflavus and were referred by Bailey (1923, p. 136) and Gardner
(1950b, p. 112) to obscurus. Bailey (1923, p. 137) says that "They may
have migrated from their northern habitat, or merely wandered out of
their regular range after the breeding season was over." As pointed
out by W. H. Davis ( 1959, p. 523) , who has synonomyzed P. s. obscurus
with P. s. subflavus, there is a wide range of individual variation in
color in this species, and dark specimens are found throughout the
entire range of P. s. subflavus. The dark specimens from the vicinity
of Washington, referred to obscurus by both Bailey and Gardner, fall
within the range of individual variation of color in the subspecies
subflavus.
Another Maryland specimen which exhibits atypical coloration is
from St. George Island, St. Marys County. It is similar to P. s. florid-
62
NORTH AMEBIGANi FAUNA 66
amis Davis, which is distributed over peninsular Florida and south-
eastern Georgia. W. H. Davis (1957, p. 215) speculated that perhaps
this animal actually was a -fioridanus that had wandered northward.
In a later publication ( 1959, p. 524) , however, he says that unless it can
be shown that this actually happened it is best to refer this specimen
to P. s. subfiavus. The specimen has been in the National collections
for many years (collected 20 August 1887) , and the unusual coloration
is perhaps due to fading.
BIG BROWN BAT
Eptesicus fuscus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois)
Vespertilio fuscus Palisot de Beauvois, Catalogue Raisonne du Museum
de Mr. C. W. Peale, Philadelphia, p. 18 (p. 14 of English ed. by
Peale and Beauvois) , 1796.
Type locality. — Philadelphia, Pa.
General distribution. — Eastern North America, from Quebec, Ontario, and
Manitoba, south into Florida and Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Distribution in Maryland. — Abundant in the lower Piedmont and
upper Western Shore sections in the vicinity of the fall line. Uncom-
mon in the Allegheny Mountain, Ridge and Valley, and Eastern Shore
sections.
Eptesicus fussus fuscus
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 20. — Distribution of Eptesicus fuscus fuscus.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 53
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 2/3, 1/1, 1/2, 3/3, = 32; size
large, exceeded in Maryland only by the hoary bat; coloration uni-
formly dark brown; ears thick and heavy, somewhat rounded and
medium in size, naked except for some fur at the base; wings and inter-
femoral membrane lacking fur; skuU larger and heavier than any other
local bat except Lasiurus cinereus, from which it differs in being notice-
ably narrower. Both Eptesicus and Lasiurus have 32 teeth, but in
Eptesicus there are 2 upper incisors and 1 upper premolar, while in
Lasiurus there are 2 upper premolars and 1 upper incisor on each side.
Measurements. — External and cranial measurements of 15 adults
from Washington, D.C., are as follows : Total length 113.2 (110-122) ;
tail 43.6 (40^8) ; hind foot (average of 9) 12 (10-13) ; greatest length
of skull 18.5 (17.5-19.6) ; zygomatic breadth (average of 10) 12.6
(12.1-13.4) ; interorbital breadth 4.2 (3.9-4.5) ; length of maxillary
toothrow7.1 (6.9-7.4).
Habitat and habits. — This bat usually occurs around buildings and
dwellings where it roosts in the daytime under windowsills, in the eaves
of roofs, in cracks or crevices, or behind doors, blinds, and awnings.
It is sometimes found in hollow trees, under loose bark, and occasionally
in caves or crevices in cliffs. This species is common in parts of Mary-
land ; it is an unusual year when at least one specimen is not captured
in the Natural History building of the National Museum and added
to the study collection. The big brown bat does not form large colonies
as do some species of bats. Probably it is in part migratory, but does not
engage in extensive seasonal migrations, other than to find a suitable
place for hibernation. This is one of the last bats to hibernate in the
fall, and it is on wing again in early March. During mild spells of
winter it may be seen flying in the sun at midday (Hamilton, 1943,
p. 90) . These bats are long-lived ; records of banded animals recovered
10 to 15 years later are numerous.
The homing instinct seems to be develqped to some degree. Cohen
(1944) found several adults behind the shutter of a house in Berwyn,
Prince Georges County, and after banding them released them on 4
October 1941, in Baltimore City. Twelve days later, on 15 October 1941,
one of these bats was found hanging on the same shutter from which
it had been removed in Berwyn. It had travelled a distance of 26.56
miles, over the congested city of Baltimore, and heavily travelled high-
ways, to return to its home roost.
The mating season for the big brown bat is September, and young are
born the following June. Normally two comprise a litter, although
there may occasionally be only one. The young grow rapidly and 3 or
4 weeks after birth are able to shift for themselves.
This species, like all Maryland bats, is primarily insectivorous.
Hamilton (1933a) examined 2,200 summer fecal pellets from northern
54 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
West Virginia and concluded that the most common insects consumed
by the big brown bat in summer are (in order of abundance of re-
mains) : Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Plecotera, Ephemirida,
Hemiptera, Tricoptera, Neuroptera, Mecotera and Northoptera. No
lepidqpterous remains were discovered by Hamilton in the pellets.
Specimens esoamined. — Baltimore Oity : 1. Baltimore County: Ca-
tonsville, 1. Montgornery County: Kensington, 1; Plummers Island,
2 ; Silver Spring, 1 ; Takoma Park, 2. Prince Georges County : Laurel,
3. District of Columbia: 86.
Other records and reports. — Awfie Arundel County: Jessup (Silver,
1928, p. 149). Baltimc/re County: Bare Hills (Cohen, 1942, p. 96) ;
Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 5). Montgomery County:
Washington Grove (Christian, 1956, p, 66). Prince Georges County:
Berwyn (Cohen, 1944, p. 65) ; Patuxent Research Center (Gardner,
19505, p. 112) . Washington County: Round Top Mountain, near Han-
cock (banding record).
RED BAT
Lasiurus borealis borealis (Mtiller)
Vespertilio horealis Miiller, Des Ritters Carl von Linne . . . voll-
standiges Natursystem nach der zwolften lateinischen Ausgabe. . . .
Suppl. (Mammalia) , p. 20, 1776.
Type locality. — New York
General distribution. — Eastern North America, from southern New Brunswick,
Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, south to Florida and
Texas.
Distribution in Maryland. — Abundant in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/3, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, = 32; size
medium; color bright rufous or fulvous, hairs plumbeous at base and
whitish at tips, producing a slight frosted effect; ears broad and blunt,
rounded at tip, reaching about halfway from the angle of the mouth
to the nostril when laid forward; tail moderately long; interfemoral
membrane thickly furred on upper surface.
This bat is easily distinguished from all other bats in Maryland by
its bright rufous coloration and the furred interfemoral membrane.
Males generally are darker and more reddish than females.
MeasureTnents. — ^An adult male from Doubs, Frederick County, and
an adult female from 3 miles NW of Annapolis, Anne Arundel
County, measure respectively: Total length 109, 113; tail 49, 50; hind
foot 10, 7 ; greatest length of skull 13.0, 12.6 ; zygomatic breadth 9.5,
9.5 ; interorbital breadth 4.4, 4.2 ; length of maxillary toothrow 4.6, 4.4.
Habitat and habits. — This bat shows a preference for deciduous
woodlands, orchards, and city parks with trees and tall shrubs. It
generally chooses the branch of a shady tree in which to roost, some-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
55
Lasiurus borealis borealis
9 Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 21. — Distribution of Lasiurus borealis borealis.
times within a few feet of the ground, and conceals itself in the foliage.
It is well known that the red bat is migratory in habits, spending
smnmers in northern areas and flying south in the autumn. They are
not found in the winter in the more northern areas, while their num-
bers appear to increase in the south. In Maryland they apparently
occur the year round, specimens having been taken in all months
from April through December, and in nearby Arlington, Va., on
1 March. Whether the same population occurs here in the summer
as in the winter is not known. Perhaps the summer population migrates
farther south and its place is taken by a more northern population
which has migrated in.
It appears that this bat migrates southward in the fall behind an
advancing cold front. David Bridge, a Maryland bird bander, tells
me that he often takes red bats in the autumn in his bird nets at Kent
Point on Kent Island, Queen Annes County, for several days following
the movement of a cold front through the area.
The red bat is a strong swift flyer. Jackson (1961, p. 96) states that
observational timing he made of it would indicate an ordinary
straightaway flying speed of near 40 miles per hour. It has sometimes
been observed flying far out to sea as much as 500 miles from the
nearest land. Usually it migrates at night, but occasionally it is ob-
served during the day. A. H, Howell (1908, p. 36) observed over a
56 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
hundred bats, most of which were probably of this species, passing
over a part of Washington, D.C., between 9 and 10 a.m. on the cloudy
mild morning of 28 September 1907.
Red bats mate during early August; copulation occurs while the
bats are in flight. The female apparently stores the sperm, and the
young are not born until the following June after a gestation period
of 80 to 90 days. Three are the usual number of young per litter,
although there are occasionally two or four.
Like other Maryland bats, the red bat is insectivorous and catches
most of its prey while on wing. Some insects, however, are probably
taken from the foliage or even near the ground, since remains of
crickets have been found in stomachs. Additional items of diet are
flies, bugs, beetles, cicadas, and other insects.
Specimens exaTnined. — Anne Anmdel Counts/: Annapolis, 1; An-
napolis, 3 miles NW, 1 ; no exact locality, 2. Baltimore City: 1. Calvert
County: Solomons, 1. Charles County: Port Tobacco, li^ miles SW,
2. Dorchester County: Cambridge, 1. Frederick County: Doubs, 1.
Montgomery County: Forest Glen, 6 ; Glen Echo, 1 ; Plummers Island,
7; Silver Spring, 2. Prinwe Georges County: College Park, 1; Laurel,
14. Somerset County: off Tangier Island, Virginia, 1; 'Washington
County: Hagerstown, 2; Sandy Hook, 1. District of Columhiu: 83.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Patapsco State Park
(Hampe, 1939, p. 5). Queen Annes County: Kent Point (bird bander
David Bridge in verbis, 16 September 1964) .
Remarks. — A closely related species, the seminolebat, Lasiurus semi-
nolus (Rhoads), which normally is found in Florida, southern Geor-
gia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, has been reported twice
from southeastern Pennsylvania (Poole, 1932, p. 162; 1949, p. 80)
and once from central New York (Layne, 1955, p. 453) . Layne suggests
that individuals of this species may wander northward far out of the
norm.al range in summer, and if this is so, the seminole bat may eventu-
ally be taken in Maryland. This species is distinguished from the red
bat by its much darker coloration, a rich mahogany brown slightly
frosted with white.
HOARY BAT
Lasiurus cinereus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois)
VespertUio cinereus (misspelled linereus) Palisot de Beauvois, Cata-
logue raisonne du museum de Mr. C. W. Peale, Philadelphia,
p. 18, 1796.
Type locality. — Philadelphia, Pa.
General distribution. — Most of North America, from the Atlantic to the Pa-
cific, north into Canada, and south into Mexico. Breeds in the northern part of
its range, mostly north of the United States.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
57
Lasrurus cmereus ctnereus
# Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 22. — Distribution of Ldsiurus cinereus cinereus/i.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs as a migrant in all sections of the
State; may breed in the higher portions of the Allegheny Momitain
section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth as in L. horealis; size large
(averaging 135 mm in total length) ; wingspread averaging around 14
inches; coloration a mixture of grayish umber and chocolate brown,
heavily tinged with white, so as to produce a hoary effect, especially on
the back; head blunt, with ears large and rounded, conspicuously
rimmed with black or dark brown ; tail medium length, about 40 per-
cent of total length of the> animal; interfemoral membrane thickly
furred on upper surface nearly to the edge; anterior edge of under-
side of wing furred for about half its length. This bat is easily dis-
tinguished from all other Maryland bats by its large size and unique
coloration.
Measurements. — ^Measurements of an adult male from Washington,
D.C., are as follows : Total length 135.5 ; tail 61.5 ; hind foot 13 ; great-
est length of skull 16.1; zygomatic breadth 12.0; interorbital breadth
4.9 ; length of maxillary toothrow 6.2.
An adult female from Washington, D.C., has the following cranial
measurements : Greatest length of skull 16.9 ; zygomatic breadth 12.7 ;
interorbital breadth 5.5 ; length of maxillary toothrow 6.2.
Habitat and habits. — This is a migratory species. It breeds and
spends the summer in the northern part of its range, from southeast-
58 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 06
ern Pennsylvania and possibly the higher mountains of the Appa-
lachians, north into Canada. It migrates southward quite late in the
season. It prefers to roost in coniferous forests, but may also be found
in farmyards, city parks, and yards, particularly where coniferous
trees are growing. The hoary bat has an extensive home range and
may fly a mile or more from its roosting site in search of food. It is a
strong and rapid flyer, and Jackson (1961, p. 100) estimates that it
can achieve speeds of up to 60 miles an hour. The scarcity of records
and specimens from Maryland indicates that it is rare here. In the
summer, it occurs in the higher mountains of the Allegheny Mountain
section. In other seasons, it may be encountered throughout Maryland.
Little is known of the breeding habits of this bat. Jackson (1961,
pp. 100-101) says that mating probably occurs in September or Octo-
ber and the young are bom in May or June, thus giving an apparent
gestation period of about 8 months. It seems probable, however, that
as in some other species of bats spermatozoa survive in the uterus
through the winter, and that fertilization takes place early in the
spring, giving an actual gestation period of about 90 days. Usually,
two yoimg comprise a litter, although it is possible that as many as
four may be produced.
The hoary bat is primarily an insect feeder, but occasionally preys
on smaller bats.
Specimens examined. — Balfi<more County: Cockeysville, 1. Prinze
Georges County: Laurel, 1. District of Columbia: 3.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore City (Merriam, 1887, p. 86) .
Prince Georges County: Berwyn (Tromba, 1954, p. 253) .
EVENING BAT
Nycticeius humeralis humeralis (Rafinesque)
Vespertilio huineralis Rafinesque, American Monthly Mag., 3 (6) : 445,
October 1818.
Type locality. — Kentucky.
General distribution. — From Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois, south into
Florida and Texas, and west into eastern Oklahoma and Kansas.
Distribution in Maryland. — Probably absent in the higher moun-
tains of the Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and Valley sections, but
elsewhere it may occur sparingly as a summer resident.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/3, 1/1, 1/2, 3/3, = 30; super-
ficially resembles Myotis but can be easily distinguished by the
reduced number of teeth and the short sparse brown fur which is dull
umber above and plumbeous at the base; fur on abdomen paler than
on dorsum; ears small and thick. The young of this species are con-
siderably darker than the adults.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
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• Specimens examined
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FiGUBE 23. — Distribution of Nycticeius humeralis humeralis.
Measurements. — ^Three adults from the vicinity of Washington,
D.C., have external measurements as follows : Total length 90, 95, 94 ;
tail 39, 35, 35 ; hind foot 10, 9, 8. Six adults from the vicinity of Wash-
ington have the following cranial measurements : Greatest length 14.2
(13.7-15.5) ; zygomatic breath 9.7 (9.6-10.0) ; interorbital breadth 3.9
(3.8-4.0) ; maxillary tocthrow 5.2 (5.0-5.4).
Habitat and habits. — ^This is essentially a southern species that wan-
ders north in summer sometimes as far as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and
Illinois. It prefers to roost in hollow trees, flying out with a slow and
steady flight as darkness falls. It gives birth to two young, generally
in late May. Little else is known of its habits or life history.
Specimens examined. — Montgomery County : Linden, 1 ; Plummers
Island, 1; Silver Spring, 1. Prince Georges County: Hyattsville, 2;
Oxon Hill, 1 ; near D.C. line, 1. District of Columbia: 6.
(BIG-EARED BAT)
Plecotus townsendii virginianus (Handley)
Corynorhynus virginianus Handley, Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 45
(2) : 148, 23 May 1955.
Type looality. — Schoolhouse Cave, 4.4 miles NE of Riverton, 2,205 feet, Pendle-
ton County, W. Va.
General distril)ution. — Central part of the Appalachian highlands in eastern
Kentucky, western Virginia, and eastern West Virginia.
eO NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distribution in Maryland. — Not as yet recorded, but should be looked
for in the higher portions of the Allegheny Mountain section. To date
it has not been found resident in any Maryland caves, but it probably
enters the State on feeding forays from caves in nearby West Virginia
and Virginia.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 2/3, 1/1, 2/3, 3/3, = 36, ears
very long; glandular masses on nose appear as lumps; fur long and
limp; colored a dark brown above, and pinkish buff on belly, inter-
femoral membrane naked.
The very large ears serve to distinguish this bat from any others
that may be encountered within Maryland.
Measurements. — Handley (1959, p. 233) gives some measurements
of a series of adults from West Virginia as follows : Total length 101
(98-103) ; tail vertebrae 50 (48-52) ; hind foot 11 (10-12) ; ear from
notch 34 (31-38) ; greatest length of skull 16.5 (16.2-16.8) ; zygomatic
breadth 8.8 (8.6-9.0) ; interorbital breadth 3.7 (3.6-3.9) ; length of
maxillary toothrow 5.3 (5.2-5.4).
Habitat and habits. — This is a true cave bat usually roosting in small
groups and emerging at dusk to fly at considerable heights. After dusk
it descends nearer the ground, sometimes at an elevation of only sev-
eral feet, searching for insect prey. When roosting in the caves during
the day, the long ears are spirally coiled and flattened against the neck.
It is a shy bat, quick to take alarm. With its large ears, it can detect
the least sound and seems to be more wary than other species.
Although Pearson et al. (1952) have made a detailed study of the
life history of the western subspecies of Plecotus townsendii., little is
known concerning the habits of the eastern race. Since the two are
widely separated geographically, much of Pearson's findings may not
be applicable to the eastern form. Hamilton (1943, pp. 102-103) says
that the eastern race bears its young during late June and that the
mother carries the single offspring until it becomes too heavy. As with
other vespertilionid bats, the spermatozoa are probably stored over
winter in the uteri of the females and are capable of fertilizing in the
spring.
This species is insectivorous, and Hamilton (1943, p. 104) says that
those examined for a clue to their feeding habits contained only the
remains of Lepidoptera in their stomachs.
Remarks. — This bat has never been taken within Maryland, but has
been found in several caves very close to the border of the western part
of the State, in Grant, Preston, and Tucker Counties, W. Va.
During the Pleistocene, a bat very similar to this species did inhabit
Maryland caves. Gidley and Gazin (1933, p. 345) described Oorynor-
hynus alleganiensis {= Plecotus alleganiensis) from Pleistocene de-
posits in Cumberland Cave, Allegany County, Md. Handley (1959, p.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 61
210) states that P. alleganiensis was similar in many respects to (and
possibly directly ancestral to) P. toionsendii.
Order LAGOMORPHA (rabbits, hares, etc.)
Family LEPORIDAE (rabbits, hares)
EASTERN COTTONTAIL
Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus (Thomas)
Llepus]. n\uttalli\. mallurus Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7,
2 : 320, October 1898.
Type locality. — Raleigh, N.C.
General distribution. — ^Primarily east of the Appalachian Mountains, from
Massachusetts, south into central Florida, west to Tennessee and Alabama.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs abundantly in all sections of the
State. Cottontails have been introduced into parts of Maryland from
areas outside the range of mallurus, and hence all population m the
State may not be ref errable to that race.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 2/1, O/O, 3/2, 3/3, = 28; size
small; ears large, pelage long and coarse, reddish brown, mixed with
black on the dorsum; underparts white, including the underside of
the tail; nape and legs cinnamon-rufous. This species differs from the
New England cottontail {S. transitionalis) , which has not yet been
taken in Maryland but which probably occurs in the mountains of
the western part of the State, in several external and cranial characters
which are described under that species.
Measurements. — External measurements of three adidts from the
three adults from Washii.gton, D.C., are: Basilar length 57.5, 57.0,
458 ; tail 60, 64, 75 ; hind foot 99, 84, . Cranial measurements of
three adults from Washington D.C., are: Basilar length 57.5, 57.0,
56.5 ; zygomatic breadth 36.9, 36.5, 36.3; interorbital breadth 19.1, 18.5,
17.9 ; length of maxillary toothrow 14.1, 14.0, 13.2.
Habitat and habits. — This rabbit occupies a variety of habitats from
the marshes of the Dehnarva Peninsula to the fields and meadows of
western Maryland. It is seldom encomitered in heavy woods. It occurs
on Assateague Island, off the Atlantic coast of Maryland, where it
is particularly abundant in the wooded thickets and dry sandy areas
adjacent to the marshes. These rabbits are found in the tall grass and
thickets in villages and towns and even in the large cities such as Balti-
more and Washington. The summer food consists of almost any type of
green vegetation, but it seems to be especially fond of legumes, dande-
lions, plantains, and lettuce. During winter it eats tender parts of
many shrubs and trees and will gnaw away the bark of some species of
336-897 O — 69 5
62
NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA e6
79- -8-
1
V
'fe»
•3'
p
WIlMW^^IMIIIj
B
^^ 'jnl
1
-39«-
SCALE ^^
O lO 20 30 MILES
imm
h4
-39°-
wl m
Sylvitag-us floridanus mallwms
• Specimens examined
mMM
O Specimens reported \j
^Mmi
wt^^LiJ
WiUM
-36*-
■'^.
Xd.
1 1
79- TS-
1
76'
SOS,
FiGUBE 24 — Distribution of Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus.
trees. With the deforestation of much of Maryland since O)lomal
times the cottontail has found more suitable habitat and today is
abundant throughout the State.
The cottontail is both diurnal and nocturnal, but is most active
during the first 3 or 4 hours after daylight and from 2 to 3 hours be-
fore sunset to about 1 hour after sunset. It does not hibernate, but is
active yearlong. Cottontails are solitary and seldom are two or more
found together except in the case of mother and young.
The female builds a brood nest of grass combined with fur plucked
from her own abdomen. The nest, placed in a depression in the ground,
is about 4 or 5 inches in diameter and depth. It is usually well con-
cealed in grass, weeds, thickets, or scrubby woods. In addition to the
brood nest, the cottontail makes forms that are used as hiding or rest-
ing places. These forms are made by scratching or trampling a shallow
oval hollow in the ground and sometimes lining it with grass, leaves,
or fur.
Cottontails in Maryland mate in late winter. The gestation period
varies from 28 to 32 days, and the first litter of the year appears by
mid-March. Two or three litters are produced each season, and the
number of young per litter varies from three to six, with five being
the most frequent.
Specimens examined. — Charles County: Marshall Hall, 1; Rock
Point, 1. Garrett County: Grantsville, 1. Hoicdrd County: Long Cor-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 63
ner, 2. Montgomery Gownty: Kensington, 1 ; Plummers Island, 2; Ta-
koma Park, 1; no exact locality, 1. Prince Georges County: Clinton,
1 ; East Riverdale, 1 ; Lanham, 1 ; Westwood, 1 ; no exact locality, 3.
District of Colwnbia: 24 (many of tliese are labeled "purchased in
Washington Market" and were probably taken outside the District of
Ck>luinbia area) .
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Oldtown, 9 miles E
(personal o'bservation). Baltimore City: (personal observation).
Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Eoland area (Bures, 1948, p. 68) ;
Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Gwynnbrook State Game Farm (Sheffer,
1957, p. 90); Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 7). Howard
County: Atholton (personal observation). Kent County: Ghestertown
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files). Prince Georges County: Pa-
tuxent Research Center (Herman and Warbach, 1956, p. 85). Worces-
ter County: Assateagne Island, near the Virginia border (personal
observation) ; Ocean City, 1 mile N (personal observation).
Rernarks. — Nelson (1909, p. 168) considers the specimen from
Grantsville in the extreme western Allegheny Mountain section to be
a distinct intergrade with S. f. nieamsi, nearly pale enough to be clas-
sified with meamsi.
(NEW ENGLAND COTTONTAIL)
Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs)
Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis Bangs, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist.,
XXVI, pp. 405-407, 31 January 1895.
Type locality. — Liberty Hill, New London County, Conn.
General distribution — Distributed from southeastern Maine, southern New
Hamipshire, and Vermont, south through eastern New York, New Jersey, and
eastern Pennsylvania and along the Allegheny Mountains through West Virginia
to northern Georgia and northeastern Alabama.
DistHhution in Maryland. — ^There are no valid records of the New
England cottontail from Maryland, but it almost certainly occurs in
the Allegheny Mountain section at higher elevations.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar in coloration to the eastern
cottontail, except that the underfur is a much darker gray. The back
is ochraceous buflP, overlaid with a wash of black-tipped guard hairs
which give it a dark appearance. The ears are short and round and
have a black margin on the outside edge, making a distinct black
line which does not blend gradually into the browner color of the ear
as in the eastern cottontail. A definite black patch is between and just
in front of the ears.
Cranially this species differs from the eastern cottontail in that the
skull is lighter and slenderer, the interorbital breadth narrower, and
64 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
the rostrum thinner. The supraorbital process is very slender, narrow-
ing anteriorly so that the notch is absent, or virtually so. The posterior
portion of the process is very narrow and in some instances is free of
the skull, leaving a distinct foramen. The auditory bullae are notice-
ably smaller in this species than in S. floridanus.
Measurements. — Nelson (1909, p. 168) gives average measurements
of five adults from Wilmington, Mass., as follows : Total length 388 ;
tail vertebrae 39 ; hind foot 96 ; basilar length of skull 54.8 ; interor-
bital breadth 17.1.
Since geographic variation appears to be slight in this species,
Maryland specimens, if taken, probably would not differ greatly in
size from the Massachusetts series.
HabiUit and habits. — Llewellyn and Handley (1945, p. 384) say
that in Virginia
All specimens examined were taken at elevations above 3,000 feet in the Alle-
gheny Mountains. Signs indicate that these cottontails occupy the woods and
brush along most of the higher crests and ridges of the state.
They believe that the species will be found in Virginia only at ele-
vations above 3,000 feet. Since the species occurs in the Alleghenies
to the north and south of Maryland, and since there are several moun-
tains in western Maryland that exceed 3,000 feet in altitude, it is
almost certain that the New England cottontail is resident in Maryland
and will eventually be taken there.
This species is similar to Sylvilagus floridanus with regard to
breeding habits and food preferences.
Remarks. — The records of Nelson (1909, p. 199) for the occurrence
of the New England cottontail in Washington, D.C., and in nearby
Alexandria, Va., have been shown by Bailey (1923, pp. 120-121) to
be erroneous. He says :
They have been recorded from the District . . . and from Alexandria, but the
record based on 2 young taken in a nest in the Soldiers Home grounds by Dr.
O. W. Richmond on 20 June 1886 was erroneously included under this species,
and a si>ecimen which I bought on 1 January 1904 of a colored man on the street
who said he killed it at Alexandria, probably came from West Virginia where
they are common and are often included in shipments of rabbits to market.
SNOWSHOE RABBIT
Lepus americanus virginianus Harlan
Lepus virginianus Harlan, Fauna Americana, p. 196, 1825.
Type locality. — Blue Mountains, near Harrisburg, Pa.
General distribution. — Southern Ontario, and northeastern United States,
from southern Maine, south in the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina
and Tennessee.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
65
SCA LE
o
lO
ZO
30 MILES
Lepus ameriaanus virginianus
•
Spec
mens
exami ned
O
Spec
mens
reported
Figure 25. — Distribution of Lepus americcmus virginianus.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in the Allegheny Mountain and
Ridge and Valley sections where it is now uncommon.
Distinguishing characteristics. — A medium-sized rabbit with large
hind feet and thick fur. Coloration in summer pelage, dull rusty
brown varying to buffy brown, always more or less darkened by a wash
of black. In winter, coloration is sometimes pure white with a little
dusky around tips of ears; but frequently a dull brownish wash is
present on the feet and terminal half of the ears.
Cranially, this species differs from Sylvilagus floridanvs and S.
transitionalis in its larger size and heavier build, with much stronger
development of the supraorbitals which are subtriangular and stand
out broadly winglike with a broad open notch between the posterior
process and the skull.
Measurements. — Nelson (1909, p. 86) gives average measurements
of five adults from Pennsylvania as follows: Total length 518; tail
vertebrae 49; hind foot 414; basilar length of skull 65.0; interorbital
breadth 22.0.
Habitat and habits. — This rabbit prefers areas of spruce in the
highest regions of the Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and Valley
sections, where it has been observed in open woods and thickets. Spruce
areas are small and scattered districts in the upland swamps and on
some of the mountain tops.
Mansueti (1953, pp. 72-73) says that
66 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
The varying hare seems to be destined to permanent extirpation in Maryland.
It is a species with specialized habitat requirements and one of limited distribu-
tion. Its environment is being encroached upon by civilization gradually in some
and swiftly in other places. . . . The optimum habitat is forest of the high inter-
mountain Allegheny Plateau which has at least a moderate understory of small
trees and shrubs to provide food and cover. These areas are gradually being
destroyed by an increasing deer herd as well as human expansion in Garrett
County.
The last reliable reports of snowshoe rabbits in Maryland were by-
John Hamlet, formerly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who
reported that in 1945 he observed a female in Garret County but did
not record the exact locality, and by John Smith of Mountain Lake
who shot one near the Holy Cross Camp, Deep Creek Lake, Garrett
County, in March 1957. This latter animal was probably one of 18 that
had been shipped into the country from the Adirondacks of New York
and released in March 1952. (Maryland Consei-vationist 34 (2), p. 25,
March 1957.)
The snowshoe rabbit is active in the summer and winter, primarily
early in the morning and late in the evening. Although it constructs
no nests, it returns to the same spot regularly so that a form is even-
tually hollowed out. This form is nearly always concealed under grass,
brush, shrubbery, or a fallen log.
This species breeds promiscuously. Mating begins early in March
and may continue well into April. The first litter appears in April
after a gestation period of about 36 days ; as many as four litters a year
are possible during a breeding season, although there are usually only
two. The number of young may range from one to five or more, but
most frequently three or four.
Food of the snowshoe rabbit in summer consists of dandelion,
grasses, clover, ferns, and the tender parts of certain shrubs and trees.
In winter, when many summer foods are not available, it feeds on
bark and shoots of woody plants.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Cumberland, 1.
Other records and reports. — Garrett County: Cranesville Swamp
area (Mansueti, 1953, p. 72) ; Deep Creek Lake (Maryland Conserva-
tionist 34(2), p. 25, March 1957) ; Finzel (Mansueti, 1953, p. 72, says
that a specimen from this locality is in the collections of the U.S.
National Museum and lists it among his specimens examined. There is
no record, however, that a specimen from Finzel has ever been in
the National Museum collections. Rhodes (1903, pp. 119-120) quotes
Merriam as saying that Preble was told of the occurrence of Lepus
virginianus at Finzel, Md., only half a mile from the Pennsylvania
line. Mansueti may have confused this record with the specimen of
Lepus a. virginianus from Cumberland, Md., which is in the National
Museum collections, and which is probably the one he examined.) ;
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 67
Little Crossings, headwaters of North Branch of Castleman River
(Browning, 1928, p. 242) ; Wolf Swamp, SE of Grantsville (Mansueti,
1953, p. Y2).
Remarks. — Several hundred snowshoe rabbits have been stocked at
various times in several localities in western Maryland, None of these
introductions appear to have been very successful, although the speci-
men taken by John Smith at Deep Creek Lake in March 1957 seems
to be one of those stocked in 1952.
Order RODENTIA (gnawing mammals)
Family SCIURIDAE (squirrels)
EASTERN CHIPMUNK
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus)
[Sciurusl striatus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 64, 1758.
The eastern chipmunk is distributed from Quebec, New Brunswick,
and Nova Scotia, south into Georgia and Louisiana, west to eastern
Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Saskatch-
ewan. In Maryland, two subspecies are recognizable. They are —
Tamias striatus fisheri A. H. Howell
Twmms striatus fisheri A. H. Howell, J. Mammal., 6(1) : 51, 9 Febru-
ary 1925.
Type looality. — Merritts Corners, 4 miles E of Ossining (Sing Sing), West-
chester County, N.Y.
This type locality has been the source of some confusion in the literature.
It has been listed by various authorities as "Merritt's Corners, four miles W of
Sing Sing [= Ossining] New York," (Howell, 1925, p. 51) ; "Merritts Corners,
4 miles E of Ossining (Sing Sing), N.Y.," (Howell, 1929, p. 16); "Merritts
Corners, 4 miles W of Sing Sing (Ossining), Westchester County, N.Y.," (Poole
and Schantz, 1942, p. 560) ; "Merritts Corners, 4 miles E of Ossining (Sing Sing),
Westchester County, N.Y." (Miller and Kellogg, 1955, p. 218) : "Merritts Corners,
4 miles W Ossining (Sing Sing), AVestchester County, N.Y.," (Hall and Kelson,
19.59, p. 294).
The confusion involves whether Merritts Corners, a small New York State
village not found on current maps of the region, actually lies west or east of
Ossining, N.Y., and hence west of the Hudson River in Rockland County or east
of the Hudson in Westchester County.
The locality as listed on the original label of the type specimen (U.S.N.M.
Cat. No. 193370, collected on 23 August 1884, by A. K. Fisher) reads: "Sing
Sing, N.Y." and on the back is written "Merritts Comers 4 miles E of Sing Sing."
U.S. Geological Survey maps of the region (,1893 edition, reprinted 1897) reveal
that Merritts Corners, the type locality of T. s. fisheri, is located east of the
Hudson River, in AVestchester County, N.Y., at 41°11'27" N lat., and 73°47'51"
W long., and is approximately 3% miles E and 1% miles N of Ossining, N.Y.
General distribution. — Middle Atlantic States, from the lower Hudson River
Valley in New York, south to Virginia and West Virginia.
68 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distribution in Maryland. — ^Uncommon in the Eastern Shore and
Western Shore sections ; abundant locally in the Piedmont and Ridge
and Valley sections. In the Allegheny Mountain section it is replaced
by the subspecies T. s. lysteri. (see fig. 26.)
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3, = 20; a
small, heavyset ground squirrel with dense, moderately fine fur;
pelage marked by two pale and three dark stripes on sides of face
and five blackish and four pale stripes extending down the back;
rump rusty in coloration; top of head and dark facial stripes near
russet, light facial stripes pale buffy; dark stripes on back nearly
black in color, paler stripes near smoke-gray shading posteriorly into
russet; center or inner pale stripe is the broadest and always gray in
coloration; tail moderately long, grayish red and not bushy. This
species may be distinguished from any other in Maryland by the
striping pattern of the pelage.
Measurements. — Four adults from the District of Columbia have
the following external measurements: Total length 243.2 (234-255) ;
tail 90.2 (83-99) ; hind foot 34.1 (33-35). Cranial measurements of
nine adults from the vicinity of Washington, D.C., are as follows:
Greatest length 39.5 (38.9-40.3) ; zygomatic breadth 22.0 (21.3-22.8) ;
postorbital breadth 11.2 (10.6-12.2) ; length of nasals 13.2 (12.5-14.0).
Habitat ami habits. — The chipmunk is largely a ground dweller,
only rarely climbing trees. It prefers to live on wooded hillsides or
mountain slopes, but is also fond of stone walls and rail fences. Though
usually favoring dry situations, it is occasionally found in moist bot-
tom land woods. It spends a good deal of time in burrows which it
digs beneath a rock, stone wall, tree roots, or a building. The burrow
is sometimes as much as 20 feet in length and 1 to 3 feet below the sur-
face of the ground. The chipmunk in Maryland remains more or less
active during the winter. All summer long, and especially in the
autumn, it is busily engaged in storing food, primarily seeds and nuts
for winter use. This food is kept in a "storeroom" adjoining the rooms
where the animal is spending the winter. The food of the chipmunk
consists of small seeds, berries, fruits, and nuts, and occasionally small
birds, mice, snakes, snails, slug, insects, and other small animal life.
Chipmunks are polyestrous and breed from March onward. The num-
ber of young is three to five, and the gestation period 31 days. Puberty
is reached at the age of 2i^ to 3 months.
Specimens examined. — Anjne Aru/ndel County: Epping Forest (near
Annapolis), 2. Frederick County: Catoctin State Park, 1. Harford
County: Fallston, 3. Howard County: Long Corner, 2. Montgomery
County: Bethesda, 1; Chevy Chase, 2; Dickerson, 1; Rockville, 3;
Takoma, 1 ; Washington Grove, 2; Linden, 1. Prinze Georges Coumiy:
Laurel, 5. Distinct of Col/wmhia: 42.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 69
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake
Roland Area (Bures, 1948, p. 67) ; Lock Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco
State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 6). Montgomery Cownty: Sligo; Piney
Branch; Silver Spring; Sandy Spring (all from Bailey, 1896, p. 95) ;
Plummers Island (Goldman and Jackson, 1939, p. 133) . Prince Georges
County : Patuxent Research Center (Herman and Warbach, 1956, p.
87). 'Worcester County: near Milbum Landing (Vagn Flyger, per-
sonal communication, 22 June 1964) .
Tamias striatus lysteri (Richardson)
Sciurus {Tamias) lysteri Richardson, Fauna Boreali- Americana, 1:
181, pi. 15, June 1829.
Type locality. — Penetanguishene, Ontario.
General distribution. — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and southeastern Ontario,
south into Connecticut and Pennsylvania and in the Appalachian Mountains to
western Maryland.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in the higher mountains (above
2,000 feet altitude) of the Allegheny Mountain section where it is
abundant.
Distinguishing characteristics. — This subspecies is similar to T. s.
flsheri., but has paler upper parts, especially the rump and the median
grayish bands. This paler coloration is most marked in the northern
Tamias striatus fisheri
Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Tamias striatus lysteri
\C^
-38"-
A Specimens examined
A Specimens reported
""S?
-^ ^
?•
1
T 7*
76°
■f//Y
FiQXJKE 26. — ^Distribution of Tamias striatus fisheri and T. s. lysteri.
70 NORTH AlviEBIOANi FAUNA 66
part of the range of the subspecies in the vicinity of the type locality.
Maryland specimens are not so pale as typical J/ysteri.
Cranially the differences between the two subspecies are very slight.
T. s. lysteri averages somewhat smaller, and has relatively longer nasal
bones.
Measurements. — External measurements of five adults and cranial
measurements of four adults from Garrett and Allegany Counties, Md.,
are as follows: Total length 233.4 (220-247); tail 87.8 (81-100);
zygomatic breadth 21.2 (19.9-22.2) ; postorbital breadth 10.9 (10.5-
11.2) ; length of nasals 13.5 (12.7-14.0) .
Habitat and habits. — Similar to T. s. -fisheri.
Specimens examined. — Allegany Cownty: Dans Mountain (4 miles
northwest of Rawlings), 1. Garrett County: Bittinger, 1; Cunning-
ham Swamp, 1 (Coll. U. Md.) ; Finzel, 4; Grantsville, 1; Herrington
Manor, 1.
Other records arid reports. — Allegany County: Accident (Howell,
1929, p. 19).
Remarks. — All Maryland specimens assigned to this subspecies
represent intergrades between T. s. lysteri and T. s. fisheri in colora-
tion, size, and relative length of nasals, and assigning them to lysteri
is somewhat arbitrary. Specimens from Fallston, Harford County, are
also intergrades but are closer to fisheri and have been assigned herein
to that subspecies.
WOODCHUCK
Marmota tnonax tnonax (Linnaeus)
[Mu^'] monaas Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 60, 1758.
Type locality. — ^Maryland.
General distribution. — Middle eastern United States from Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and Iowa, south
to Arkansas and the northern parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Abundant in all sections except the
Eastern Shore, where it has until lately been unknown. There is recent
evidence, however, that the species is extending its range into that
section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 2/1, 3/3, = 22; the
heaviest member of the squirrel family found within the State (weight
5 to 12 lbs.); tail short and somewhat bushy; fur thick and coarse;
coloration above grizzled brown, with top of head, face, legs, and
tail dark brown to blackish brown; under parts lighter in coloration,
and pelage not so thick; incisor teeth white; ears short and rounded.
The large size, grizzled brownish coloration, and short bushy tail
readily distinguish this animal from any other rodent in Maryland.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
71
7 9-
1
78*
77
■jy
*
\
75'
-39°-
-39«-
-36*-
SCALE
O lO ZO 30MILES
T
^
'§lllM§k
76°
Maimota monax monax
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
1
4
i
M
BOM
FiGUBE 27. — Distribution of Marmota monax monax.
Measurements. — Males average larger than females in overall size.
Two adult females, one from Sparks, Baltimore County, and the other
from Washington, D.C., have external measurements as follows : Total
length 628, 615; tail 157, 148; hind foot 88, 86. Cranial measurements
of three adult males from the District of Columbia and nearby Mary-
land are as follows: Condylobasal length 102.6, 97.5, 95.7; palatal
length 59.3, 56.2, 55.3; zygomatic breadth 69.3, 65.8, 65.9; least inter-
orbital breadth 27.3, 25.9, 27.2; maxillary toothrow 21.7, 21.6, 22.0.
Cranial measurements of five adult females average: Condylobabal
length 91.3 (89.0-94.2) ; palatal length 53.5 (51.0-56.0) ; zygomatic
breadth 62.5 (59.6-64.8) ; least interorbital breadth 24.6 (23.3-26.3) ;
maxillary toothrow 21.1 (20.4-21.8).
Habitat and habits. — This is primarily a forest border and open j&eld
mammal, seldom found in heavy dense woods. It prefers the edges
of brushy woodlands, and particularly open fields along streams.
Woodchucks are found along poorly cleared fence lines, in meadows,
cow pastures, and grainfields, especially where rocky outcroppings or
old stumps occur. They are common on the bluffs that line the Mary-
land side of the Potomac River, and occur in great numbers in the
farming country of Montgomery and Frederick Counties. Hampe
(1939, p. 6) reports that they are very abundant throughout the
Patapsco State Park, and that numerous burrows are found in the hill-
sides along the river. In the Bare Hills-Lake Roland region of Balti-
72 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
more County, Bures (1948, p. 67) found that they were not very
common, their range being limited to areas of cultivation and the region
between the deciduous woods and the marsh, Woodchucks abound in
Garrett County, particularly in the vicinity of Deep Creek Lake.
This species is active both day and night and is frequently seen
in grassy shoulders and rocky outcroppings that border Maryland
highways. On many occasions it falls victim to modern high-speed
traffic and is one of the most frequently encountered road-kills in the
State.
The woodchuck inhabits an extensive burrow which sometimes ex-
tends to a depth of 5 feet and may be some 30 feet in length. The burrow
usually has several entrances, which may be located beneath a wall or
tree stump. Within the burrow, there is usually one chamber in which
a bulky grass nest is situated. In this chamber the female gives birth
to four or five young in April or May after a gestation period of about
4 weeks. The babies remain in the den for about a month, after which
their eyes open, and they become completely independent of the mother
by early July.
Principal food of the woodchuck consists of grasses and succulents
such as clover, alfalfa, plaintain, and various perennials, in addition
to beans, peas, corn, and apples; seldom does the woodchuck consume
flesh, although it has been known to pursue poultry and eat insects and
snails. During the summer it becomes fat on these foods, and early
in the autumn when the first frost is on the ground it descends into
its burrow and goes into hibernation. It usually emerges again in
late February or early March.
Specimens examined. — Baltimore Comity: Sparks, 1, Homard
County: Simpson ville, 1. Montgomery Cownty: Plummmers Island,
4; Sandy Spring, 1. Prince Georges County: Laurel, 5; near Wash-
ington, D.C, 1. Washington County: Hagerstown, 1. District of
Colamhia: 6,
Other records and reports. — Allegany Cownty : Mount Savage (Coll.
U. Md.). Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures,
1948, p. 67) ; Lock Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe,
1939, p. 6), Garrett County: Cranesville Pine Swamp (Mansueti, 1958,
p, 83), Kent County: Galena (Allen, 1950, p, 28), Prince Georges
County: Patuxent Research Center (Grizzell, 1949, p, 74). Washing-
ton County : Sharpsburg, 1 mile W (personal observation) .
Remarks. — Allen (1950, p, 28) says that the Eastern Shore is one
of those regions that has been invaded by the woodchuck in the last
50 years. It first appeared on the Prettyman Farm near Galena in
Kent County around 1900, Evidently it is spreading southward around
the Chesapeake Bay from Pennsylvania,
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
73
GRAY SQUIRREL
Sciurus carolinensis pennsylvanicus Ord
Sciurus pennsylvanica Ord, in [Guthrie], a new geographical, histori-
cal and commercial grammar ; . . . , Philadelphia, ed. 2, 2 : 292, 1815.
Type locality. — Pennsylvania, west of the Allegheny Ridge.
General distribution. — From southern New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario,
south into Virginia and in the Appalachians to Tennessee, west into eastern
Iowa and southern Minnesota.
Distribution in Maryland. — ^Abundant in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 2/1, 3/3, = 22; size
large; tail bushy and flattened; coloration variable both in summer
and winter; upper parts usually yellowish brown in summer, with a
slightly grayish cast to the sides of the neck, the shoulders, and
thighs; face clay colored to cinnamon buff; forelegs gray above, hind
legs reddish; tail brown at base, hairs blackish near middle and tipped
with gray; in winter pelage, paler and more grayish.
A melanistic color phase occurs frequently in this species, par-
ticularly in 8. c. petwisylv aniens. Albinistic animals are also often
encountered.
Measurements. — External and cranial measurements of three adult
males from Cambridge, Dorchester County, are as follows: Total
length 462, 486, 465; tail vertebrae 201, 216, 190; hind foot 64, 64, 61;
79- 78*
1 '
77*
76°
7\
p
/////^^^^^''-/^ '^' w///V///v
P
P
-39«-
SCALE ^"^
O lO 20 30MILES
1
M
T/nP\
-39°-
Sciurus carolinensis pennsylvanicus
• Specimens examined J
^^M
W/////^
-38"-
O Specimens reported
■M
%
1 1
T7"
1
76"
sow
Figure 28. — Distribution of Sciurus carolinensis pennsylvanicus.
74 NORTH AMEBICAN FAUNA 66
greatest length of skull 62.6, 62.4, 62.8 ; zygomatic breadth 33.4, 33.4,
33.6; least interorbital breadth 16.9, 19,2, 18.2; length of maxillary
toothrow 10.9, 11.6, 11.2.
Habitat and habits. — ^This is a squirrel of the hardwood and mixed
coniferous-hardwood forests, particularly those with nut-bearing trees
and bushy undergrowth. It is quite common in the parks of Washing-
ton, D.C., particularly Rock Creek Park. Most of these are descended
from introduced stock. Bailey (1923, p. 108) says:
The late Dr. William L. Ralph purchased many gray squirrels and liberated
them in the Smithsonian grounds, where up to the time of his death in 1907 he
fed and cared for them . . . They soon became common in the Mall . . . and
spread to the White House grounds, LaFayette Square, and other city parks.
Melanistics squirrels were introduced and liberated into the Na-
tional Zoological Park and are still frequently seen there. Of these,
Bailey (1923, p. 109) says:
The first shipment of 10 (black squirrels) was from Rondeau Provincial Park,
Morpeth, Ontario, 18 May 1906 ; and these squirrels were immediately liberated
in the northwestern part of the zoo where they were very much at home. They
have since been constanly in the park, especially from the vicinity of the great
flight cage to the Klingle Valley and they have spread northward to Cleveland
Park and nearly to Chevy Chase.
Five of the 31 skins of gray squirrels in the National Museum collec-
tions from the District of Columbia show melanistic tendencies.
The gray squirrel is common throughout Maryland. Hampe (1939,
p. 6) says that it is the most common squirrel in the Patapsco State
Park and has been observed in the Park every month of the year;
young squirrels are numerous there after the first of July. Bures
(1948, p. 67) says the gray squirrel is quite common in the Bare Hills-
Lake Roland area. I found them numerous on the Delmarva Penin-
sula; in southern Maryland; in the Piedmont region, particularly in
the vicinity of Sugar Loaf Mountain; and in the mountains of the
western part of the State. Gray squirrels do not occur on Assateague
Island, but I have seen them in the thickets back of the dunes several
miles north of Ocean City.
The gray squirrel is most at home in trees and descends to the ground
only when necessary to obtain food and bury nuts. It does not hiber-
nate, even in the coldest northern portions of its range. This squirrel
is diurnal and is most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
Its bulky nest is generally constructed in an enlarged natural cavity
^f an old oak tree, but sometimes an outdoor nest of firmly woven
leaves is constructed among the branches or in the crotch of a tree.
Squirrels mate during midwinter, and the gestation period is about
40 days. A second mating usually occurs sometime in May or June.
The young are two to five (generally four) in number. When 2 months
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 76
of age, they are weaned, but remain with the mother until she has her
second litter.
The gray squirrel is generally vegetarian in habits, its food consisting
of many kinds of nuts (including acorns), seeds, fruits, buds, fungi,
inner bark of certain trees, and occasionally corn and other grains, and
fleshy parts of plants. Sometimes it eats small amounts of animal food
such as insects or an occasional bird's egg or small bird.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 1 (Coll.
U. Md.). Anne Arundel County: Priest Bridge, 1. Calvert County:
Little Cove Point Area, 2; Prince Frederick, 1. Charles County:
Marshall Hall, 1 ; Newport, 1 ; Port Tobacco, 2. Dorchester County:
Cambridge, 3. Garrett County : Friendsville, 1^4 mile NW, 1 (Coll. U.
Md.) ; Grantsville, 2; Meadow Mountain, 1 (Coll. U. Md.). Harford
County : Fallston, 5. Montgomery County : Dickerson, 1 ; Germantown,
2; Kensington, 1; Takoma Park, 2; Woodside, 1. Prince Georges
County: Beltsville, 1; Bladensburg, 2; Branchville, 1; College Park,
1; Fort Washington, 1; Laurel, 22; (Upper) Marlboro, 2; Muirkirk,
1; Oxon Hill, 1; Patuxent Eiver (fork), 2; Piscataway Creek, 2;
Scagg's Swamp, 1. District of Columbia: 40.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County : South end of Town
Hill Mountain (personal observation) . Baltimore City (Flyger, 1960b,
p. 366). Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures,
1948, p. 67) ; Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe,
1939, p. ^). Frederick County: Thurmont (Coll. U. Md.) ; Sugar Loaf
Mountain (personal observation). Garrett County: Keyser's Ridge
(Coll. U. Md.) ; Montgomery County : Plummers Island (iGoldman
and Jackson, 1939, p. 133) . Prince Georges County : Aquasco (Herman,
and Reilly, 1955, p. 402). Worcester County : Ocean City, 2 miles N
(personal observation).
Remarks. — All of Maryland was formerly included within the range
of the southern subspecies of gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis caro-
linensis Gmelin (see Bangs, 1896, p. 153, and Miller, 1924, p. 223).
Patton (1939, pp. 75-76), however, in a study of the distribution of
the gray squirrel in Virginia, concluded that S. c. carolinensis occupies
the southern half of the Piedmont Plateau and the entire Coastal Plain
region in that State. He says that in Virginia the area of intergradation
between S. c. carolinensis and S. c. leucotis (= pennsylvanicus) lies
along a line drawn from central King George County to southeastern
Patrick County, and he assigned a specimen from Eastville, on the
Virginia portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, to /S. c. carolinensis. This
suggests that, although most of Maryland lies within the range of /S. c.
pennsylvanicus, the southern .portions of the Western Shore and
Eastern Shore sections are within the range of S. c. carolinensis, and
the range of the species in Maryland has been mapped in this way by
76 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Hall and Kelson (1959, p. 371). However, a careful comparison of
specimens from Calvert and Charles Counties in the Western Shore
Section and Cambridge in the Eastern Shore section with specimens
of typical pennsylvanicus from central Pennsylvania and New York
show that they differ in no essential respect from that subspecies,
whereas they are considerably larger and paler than typical carolinen-
sis. I have also examined the specimen from Eastville, Va., assigned
by Patton (1939) to caroUnensis, and consider it to be referable to
pennsylvanicus. It is somewhat darker than typical pennsylv aniens^
but can be matched in coloration by many specimens in similar prelage
from the northern portion of the range of pennsylvanicus. In size
it is indistinguishable from typical pennsylvanicus and considerably
larger than carolinensis. Consequently, all of Maryland falls within
the range of S. c. pennsylvanicus., and this range extends at least as
far south as Eastville on the Virginia portion of the Delmarva Penin-
sula and probably as far as the tip of that peninsula.
FOX SQUIRREL
Sciurus niger Linnaeus
[Sciuincs] niger Linnaeus, Syst. nat. ed. 10, 1 : 64, 1758.
This is our largest tree squirrel and one of the most spectacular
rodents in Maryland. It resembles the gray squirrel but is considerably
bigger and heavier, and less often observed. Mansueti (1952, p. 31)
comments that a ratio of 40 grays to one fox squirrel may be high, but
that few fox squirrels have been reported in recent years and the
species appears to be becoming scarce in all the Atlantic Coast States.
The distribution of fox squirrels in Maryland has been reviewed
by Mansueti (1952, pp. 31-41), and most of the following is based
upon his records or records cited by him.
Two subspecies occur within Maryland. They are :
Sciurus niger cinereus Linnaeus
[Sciurus'] cinereus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 64, 1758.
/Sciurus niger hryanti H. H. Bailey, Bailey Mus. Libr. Nat. Hist.,
Newport News, Virginia, Bull. No. 1 [p. 1], 1 August 1920. (Type
locality : Dorcester County, Md.)
Type locality. — Restricted to Cambridg^e, Dorchester County, Maryland, by
Barkalow (1956, p. 13).
General distribution. — Formerly from Northampton County in Virginia to
southeastern Pennsylvania, but now confined to the Eastern Shore section of
Maryland. It has been listed by the Department of the Interior as an endangered
form.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in limited numbers in Dor-
chester, Queen Annes, Talbot, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 77
Counties. The present center of population appears to be in the vicinity
of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it is still common.
(See fig. 29.)
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3, = 20;
coloration uniform light grizzled-gray above with a steel blue cast;
belly and feet white; tail with a pronounced black stripe on outer
edges. A melanistic form occurs in which the belly and back are
blackish. May be readily distinguished from the gray squirrel, which
it resembles somewhat in coloration, by its much larger size and
reduced dentition.
Measurements. — Five adults from Dorchester County have external
measurements as follows: Total length 579 (560-605) ; tail 273 (263-
285); hind foot 77 (73-81). Cranial measurements of four adults
from Dorchester County are: Greatest length 68.5 (67.7-69.8) ; zygo-
matic breadth 38.8 (37.9-39.8) ; least interorbital breadth 20.8 (19.4^
22.3) ; length of maxillary toothrow 11.9 (11.8-12.0).
Habitat and habits. — This subspecies prefers mature forests of
mixed hardwoods and conifers in which mast-producing trees such
as oaks, hickories, and pines are present. It is particularly partial to
old-growth loblolly pine forests, many of which, however, have been
cut over or burned through forest fires.
This squirrel spends much time on the ground but generally doesn't
stray far from the home roost. It lies close to the body of a tree or
limb, seldom leaping from tree to tree as does the gray squirrel. Nests,
which serve as home during summer and winter, are placed near
the tips of branches in old pines, generally from 30 to 50 feet above
the ground. Mating may occur at any time throughout the year, but
is most frequent during the latter part of February or early March.
Usually, four young comprise a litter and are born in April.
Fox squirrels feed more on the ground than do gray squirrels. Food
consists primarily of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, and particularly
the seeds of loblolly pine. They seldom, if ever, cause damage to corn
or other domestic crops.
This squirrel has become greatly reduced in numbers and has
entirely disappeared from some areas of its former range. One of these
areas is the northern portion of the Eastern Shore section ; this is the
area where this subspecies would be expected to intergrade with
Sciurus niger vulpinus, the form inhabiting the Western Shore of
Maryland.
Specimens examined. — Dorchester County : Airey (near), 1; Black-
water Refuge, 1; Bucktown, 1; Cambridge, 9. Kent County: East
Neck Island, 3. Eastern Shore (no exact locality), 3.
Other records and reports (with dates of capture or sighting when
available). — Dorchester County: Big Blackwater Section, 1932,
336-897 O — 69 6
78 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
(Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 5) ; Gibbs Marsh, between Golden Hill and
Church Creek, near Blackwater River (Mansueti, 1952, p. 33) ; Grif-
fins Neck (Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 10) ; Milton (Dozier and Hall,
1944, p. 10) ; Salem Woods, 14 Miles from Cambridge on road to
Salisbury, 1933, (Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 5) ; Secretary (Dozier and
Hall, 1944, p. 10) ; Taylors Island, 1963, (James B. Trefethen in
correspondence to Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, 12 Novem-
ber 1964). Queen Annes County: Church Hill (near), 4 miles below
Chestertown, 1943, (Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 3). Somerset County:
Big Swamp, 2 miles E of Kings Creek, 1922, (Dozier and Hall, 1944,
p. 3) ; Westover, due west of, 1940, (Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 3) ;
Loretto, near, 1944, (Dozier and Hall, 1944, p. 3). Talbot County:
Trappe, near, 1948, (Mansueti, 1952, p. 33). Worcester County: New-
ark, 1951, (Mansueti, 1952, p. 33) ; Pocomoke City, near, (Dozier and
Hall, 1944, p. 3).
Sciurus niger vulpinus Gmelin
[Sciurus] vulpinus Gmelin, Syst. nat., ed. 13, p. 147, 1788 (based on
specimens from the eastern United States, including the Blue
Mountains of Pennsylvania) .
General distribution. — Formerly occurred from central New York, south
through south-central Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia,
western Virginia, and in the Appalachian Mountains to western North Carolina.
Distribution presently reduced to south-central Pennsylvania, Maryland, western
Virginia, and eastern West Virginia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Found locally in heavily forested re-
j^ions in the Western Shore, Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, and Alle-
gheny Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar in size and general charac-
teristics to >iS'. n. cinereu^, but differs in coloration. The body is general-
ly buffy brown above, in contrast to the bluish grizzled gray of cin-
ereus; tail grayish white above, rufous below; feet and ears rufous;
top of head more blackish than the back. May be distinguished from
the gray squirrel by its larger size.
Measurements. — No external measurements are available for any of
the Maryland adults in the National Museum collections. Two adults
from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, which are typical of
this subspecies have the following measurements: Total length 615,
603 ; tail 299, 298 ; hind foot 77, 79. Four Maryland specimens (two
from Laurel, Prince Georges County ; one from Priest Bridge, Anne
Arundel County; and one from North Chesapeake Beach, Calvert
County) have the following cranial measurements: Greatest length
67.7 (66.6-68.2) ; zygomatic breadth 38.6 (38.2-39.4) ; least interor-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
79
SCALE
O lO 20
30 MILES
Saiums niger
ainereus
• Specimens
exami ned
Specimens
reported
G Type loca
i ty
Saiwms niger
vulpinus
A Specimens
examined
A Specimens
reported
Figure 29. — Distribution of Sckirus niger dnereus and 8. n. vulpirms.
bital breadth 20.3 (20.1-20.5) ; length of maxillary toothrow 11.9
(11.0-12.3).
Habitat and habits. — Not much has been published concerning the
habitat and habits of this subspecies. It is said to prefer open deciduous
woods, wood borders, and orchards, but as noted by Bailey (1923, p.
110) it is skillful in keeping out of sight. Mansueti (1952, p. 35) states
that the subspecies has been considerably decimated in recent years,
and the remaining fox squirrels are strictly local in distribution and
are more or less relic populations where they occur.
Bailey (1923, p. 110) reported that at various times fox squirrels
were released in the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.
These apparently never flourished, since none have been observed in
the park in years.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Between Clarysville and
Red Hill, 1 (Coll. U. M.di.). Anne Arundel County: Patuxent River at
Priest Bridge, 10. Calvert County: North Chesapeake Beach, 1. Gar-
ret CouMty : Friendsville, 1/4 mile NW, 2 (Coll. U. Md.). Harford
County: Fallston, 1. Prince Georges County: Laurel, 4. District of
Columbia: 4 (these were either purchased at the Central Market or
trapped in the National Zoological Park, and probably are not actually
from the District of Columbia area) .
Other records wnd reports (from Mansueti, 1952, except where
otherwise noted. — Allegany County : Green Ridge State Forest, 1935.
80 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Calvert County: Governors Run, 1948 ( ?). Garrett County: Accident
1945 and 1951 ; Bittin^er, 1948 ; Meadow Mountain, 1947. Montgomery
County: Great Falls, 1916; Plummers Island (Goldman and Jackson,
1939, p. 133). Prinx:e Georges County: Bladensbur^ (near), 1949 ( ?).
College Park, 1948 ; 1/2 mile east of intersection of Hig;liways 214 and
301, 1940. WasJiington County: Fort Frederick State Park, 1950.
Remarks. — Mansueti (1952, p. 35) lists on a provisional basis a
third subspecies of the fox squirrel in Maryland, the* more western
Sciurus n. ruflventer. He and Vagn Flyger in 1950 examined the tail
of a fox squirrel shot on a hill near Storey's Landing, Deep Creek
Lake, Garrett County, several years before, and found that its colora-
tion was similar to that of ruflventer. This subspecies normally occurs
west of the Allegheny Mountains and prefers open or parklike upland
woods rather than heavily forested sections. It commonly occurs along
fence rows in cultivated fields or in pastures where there are only scat-
tered trees, Mansueti claims that these conditions are found in many
parts of Garrett County, particularly around Deep Creek Lake and
that ru-flventer may be moving into this area from further west. He
states that possibly as the heavily forested areas are cut, and S. n.
vulpinu^ vacates, S. n. ru^venter invades the area vacated. On the
other hand, he notes that numbers of S. n. ruflventer have been re-
leased in southwestern Pennsylvania in an effort to restock the area
and some of these may have migrated south into Maryland. The two
specimens from Garrett County that I have examined, however, are
typical S. n. vulpinus and exhibit none of the characters of I'ufiventer.
RED SQUIRREL
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax (Bangs)
Sciurus hudsonicus loquax Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 10:
161, 28 December 1896.
Type locality. — Liberty Hill, Conn.
General distribution. — Southern Ontario, southern Vermont and New Hamp-
shire, south to northern Virginia and "West Virginia, west to eastern Iowa and
southeastern Minnesota.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs locally in the Piedmont, Ridge
and Valley, and Allegheny Mountain sections; scarce or absent over
most of the Western Shore section ; apparently absent in the Eastern
Shore section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 2/1, 3/3, = 22;
anterior upper premolar frequently lacking, and when present so
reduced as to be easily overlooked; size small, the smallest of our
local tree squirrels; tail relatively short and bushy; general coloration
in winter bright rufous above, white below; ears tufted with black;
in summer, coloration more olive dorsaUy, \vith ears untufted.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
81
^/t
m
U MmJ
*
S W f\
-39«-
SCALE
O lO ZO 30MILES
mI™
11
fd£r'\(\
\Jtl rJ
j)^ r^jy y
yj j h
i
to^/rY^ 1 \
^^IJ j I j 11
h
7t *>• l! 'Vs S^'T"
Tamiasciurus hudsonious loquax
mNiM
1 J
9 Specimens examined
V
H wHiiJlfi
^
O Specimens reported
^
-^
-38*-
1 1
79* 78*
TT"
1
76'
'T
"T^
Figure 30. — Distribution of Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax.
This squirrel is differentiated from all others in Maryland by its
small size and reddish coloration.
Measurements. — Two adults from the vicinity of Bethesda, Mont-
gomery County, have external measurements as follows : Total length
310, 303; tail 130, 130; hind foot 50, 51; ear 22, 27. Cranial measure-
ments of 10 adults from Laurel, Prince Georges County are : Greatest
length 45.2 (44.4-46.0) ; zygomatic breadth 26.2 (26.0-27.2) ; least
interorbital breadth 13.9 (13.1-14.6) ; length of maxillary toothrow
7.2 (6.6-7.8).
Habitat and liahits. — This squirrel prefers spruce and hemlpck
forests, but is often found in deciduous woods and in rural areas in
the northern hardwoods region where it sometimes builds nests in
the attics of houses. It is more terrestrial than the gray squirrel, spend-
ing a great deal of time on the ground searching for food. It is also
more omnivorous than the gray squirrel, eating almost any kind of
seed, nut, or berry. Various kinds of fungi are consumed and even
an occasional ^gg when the nest of a songbird is raided. Hamilton
(1943, p. 224) says that it has been known to Ivill and partially
devour young cottontail rabbits.
The bulky nest of the red squirrel, made of grass and moss, is
usually placed high in the branches of a tree and can be distinguished
from that of the gray squirrel by its smaller size and the finer material
used in its construction. The red squirrel is active throughout the year.
82 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
It produces litters of from three to six young early in the spring and
often a second litter in late summer.
The center of Maryland's red squirrel population is the spruce and
hemlock forests of the Allegheny Mountain section of the State. It is
scarce or absent over most of the Western Shore section and apparently
lacking in the Eastern Shore section. David H. Johnson, formerly
Curator of Mammals, U.S. National Museum, tells me that he is very
familiar with pine woods near Greenbelt, Prince Georges County, and
never observed a red squirrel there. J. C. Lingebach, Division of Mam-
mals, U.S. National Museum, advises me that in his many years of field
experience in the Annapolis area of Anne Arundel County he never
observed a red squirrel. Flyger (1957, p. 1), however, reports that
he trapped a red squirrel on 23 February 1957 near the Naval Academy
in Annapolis and that there had been a colony there for several
years. This is probably an artificially introduced population. Red
squirrels have, however, been taken at such Western Shore section
localities as Laurel, Bladensburg, Oxon Hill, Riverdale, and College
Park, in Prince Georges County, and Marshall Hall in Charles County.
These localities are not very distant from the fall line and the begin-
ning of the Piedmont section, and elsewhere in the Western Shore
section the red squirrel appears to be exceedingly scarce.
Even in the Piedmont section the species is only locally abundant,
being completely absent over large areas. At one time it was numerous
in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., but none have been seen
there in recent years. It is still plentiful in some suburban areas north-
west of Washington. A lactating female was found dead by David
H. Johnson on a road adjacent to a pine woods a few miles northwest
of Bethesda, Montgomery County, in October 1955, and another near
this general area in September 1957. Johnson tells me that it is the
common squirrel in some of the pine woods in the Bethesda area,
being more often seen there than gray squirrels. In the Piedmont sec-
tion of Baltimore County, Hampe (1939, p. 6) reported red squirrels
uncommon in the pine woods of the Patapsco State Park, but Bures
(1948, p. 67) found that it was a common resident of the Bare Hills-
Lake Roland area a few miles to the northeast. Evidently, the red
squirrel has a scattered distribution in Maryland and is only abundant
locally.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Frostburg, 1; Mount
Savage, 2 (Coll. IT. Md.). Charles County: Marshall Hall, 1. Frederich
County: Middletown, 6. Garrett County: Bittinger, 1; Finzel, 2;
Grantsville, 1 ; Swallow Falls State Park, 1. Harford County: Falls-
ton, 1. Hoioard County: Long Corner, 1. Montgomery County: Be-
thesda, 31/2 miles NW, 1 ; Bethesda, 5 miles NW, 1 ; Kensington, 8 ;
Linden, 2; Plummers Island, 1; Takoma Park, 3. Prince Georges
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 83
County: Bladensburg, 2; College Park (near), 1; Laurel, 16; Oxon
Hill, 1 ; Eiverdale, 1. District of Columbia: 25.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Dans Mountain
(Coll. U. Md.) . Anne Arundel County : Annapolis (Flyger, 1957, p. 1) .
Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures, 1948, p. 67) ;
Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 6).
Cecil County: Northeast (Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia). Mont-
gomery County: Silver Spring (files of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice). Prince Georges County : Hyattsville (Bailey, 1923, p. 107).
Remarks. — Specimens from Garrett County and Allegany County
appear somewhat darker in summer and winter pelage than specimens
from farther east in the State and may represent intergrades with the
southern Appalachian subspecies T. h. abieticola.
SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL
Glaucomys volans volans (Linnaeus)
[Mus] volans Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1 : 63, 1758.
Type locality. — Virginia (fixed by Elliot, Field Columb. Mus., Zool. Ser., 2:
109, 1901).
General distribution. — From central Minnesota, Upper and Lower Peninsulas
of Michigan, southeastern Ontario, New York, and southern New Hampshire,
south to North Carolina and Tennessee, west to eastern Kansas and Nebraska.
Distribution in Maryland. — Probably abundant in all sections of
the State where there is suitable habitat. No specimens or records are
available, however, from the Eastern Shore, Ridge and Valley, and
Allegheny Mountain sections, but this probably indicates that these
sections have not been systematically trapped for the species rather
than a scarcity of the animals themselves. Flying squirrels are noc-
turnal, shy, and seldom observed.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth l/.l, 0/0, 2/1, 3/3, = 22; a small
squirrel that is characterized by a "flying membrane", a loose fold of
fully furred skin connecting the fore and hind limbs from wrists to
ankles. The tail is broad, flattened, and almost paraUel-sided, with
the tip rounded; pelage extremely soft and dense; coloration of upper
parts varies with season and age, but is generally grayish brown;
under parts ususally white or creamy white in coloration, with the
white extending from the base of the hairs to the tip; dark brown
streak extending along side edge of "flying membrane"; tail grayish
above, cinnamon below; forefeet white, hind feet brown except for
some white on toes.
This species may be distinguished from all other squirrels in Mary-
land by the distinctive "flying membrane." The northern flying squir-
rel, Glaucomys sabrinus, has not as yet been reported from Maryland,
84
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Glaucomys volans volans
# Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 31. — Distribution of Glaucmnys volans volans.
but may occur in spruce and fir forests in the highest elevations of the
Allegheny Mountain section. It differs from the present species pri-
marily in that it is much larger in size and the basal portion of the
white hairs of the belly are colored grayish.
Measurements. — External and cranial measurements of eight adults
from Newport, Charles County, are as follows: Total length 221.9
(211-240) ; tail vertebrae 97.9 (90-110) ; hind foot 26.6 (21-30) ; great-
est length of skull 34.6 (33.5-35.6) ; zygomatic breadth 20.5 (19.7-
21.3) ; interorbital breadth 6.9 (6.5-7.5) ; length of maxillary tooth
row 6.4 (6.2-6.5).
Habitat and hahits.— This is essentially a species of the heavy timber
and is never found at any great distance from water. It prefers forests
of deciduous trees, but is sometimes encountered in woodlands of mixed
conifers and hardwoods. Occasionally it may occupy an old orchard.
The species is probably abundant in all sections of the State where
there is suitable habitat, but because of its secretive habits it is seldom
noticed. Bures (1948, p. 67) says that in the Bare Hills-Lake Roland
area of Baltimore County it is as common as the chipmunk, but because
of its nocturnal habits is less often observed. Hampe (1939, p. 6) found
that it was fairly common in the Patapsco State Park. He observed one
at twilight on 22 May 1936. Bailey (1923, p. 112) found the species
common in the woods of the District of Cx)lumbia, right up to the edge
of the city.
MAMMALS OF MARTLANI> 85
Tlie flying squirrel is one of the most nocturnal mammals in Mary-
land, rarely leaving its nest before the sun is well down. lit remains
active throughout the night, foraging for hickory nuts, beechnuts,
acorns, maple and wild cherry seeds, apples, and buds and blossoms of
some trees. It is carnivorous to some extent and occasionally feeds on
insects, young birds, and birds' eggs. This squirrel is highly social.
The favorite nesting site for the flying squirrel is a hole in a dead or
dying tree. A cavity made by a woodpecker is often preferred, although
occasionally a natural one will be utilized and artificial bird nest boxes
are sometimes used. The nest is composed of finely shredded leaves and
inner bark.
This species probably does not hibernate in Maryland, although
farther north it becomes inactive during colder weather (Sollberger,
1940, p. 285). Mating may occur in late February or early March and
the gestation period is about 40 days. Three young usually comprise a
litter, and a second mating sometimes occurs in July ( Sollberger, 1943,
p. 163).
Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County: Annapolis, 3 miles
NW, 1. Charles County: Marshall Hall, 2; Newport., 10. Montgomery
County : Cabin John Creek, 1 ; Capitol View, 1 ; Chevy Chase, 1 ; Dick-
erson, 1 ; Garrett Park, 1 ; Glen Echo Heights, 1 ; Great Falls, 1 ; Kens-
ington, 2; Plummers Island (near), 1; Silver Spring, 4. Prince
Georges County: Anacostia Eiver, NW Branch, 1; Branchville, 1;
Laurel, 2 ; Upper Marlboro, 1 ; no exact locality, 3. St. Ma^^s County:
Tall Timbers, 1.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Mount Savage
(Coll. U. Md.) ; Town Hill (Coll. U. Md.). Baltimore County: Bare
Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures, 1948, p. 67) ; Patapsco State Park
(Hampe, 1939, p. 6). Cecil County: Bacon Hill (3 specimens m Phila.
Acad. Nat. Sci.). Montgomery County: Forest Glen (Bangs, 1896,
p. 166). Prince Georges County: Patuxent Research Center (Herman
and Warbach, 1956, p. 87) .
Family CASTORIDAE (beavers)
BEAVER
Castor canadensis Kuhl
Castor canadensis Kuhl, Beitr. z. zool. u. vergleich. Anat., Ablth. 1,
p. 64, 1820.
Type locality. — Hudson Bay.
General distribution. — Formerly ranged over most of the forested regions of
North America, north of Mexico. It was exterminated in many areas of its range
and later successfully reintroduced into some sections.
86 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distribution in Maryland. — Formerly occurred in all sections of the
State, but was exterminated around the turn of the century or earlier.
It has been deliberately restocked in some areas and naturally invaded
others from neighboring States where animals were stocked or rem-
nant populations survived.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3, = 20;
largest rodent in Maryland; body thickset and compact; legs short;
ears small; hind feet large with the toes webbed; tail broad, flat,
nearly hairless, and covered with large scales; pelage with very soft
dense underfur, overlaid vnth. long coarse guard hairs; coloration dark
rich brown above, lighter below.
Measurements. — "Nine adults from the Allegheny National Forest,
Pennsylvania, average: Total length, 1,031 mm. (970-1,090 mm.);
tail vertebrae, 358 mm. (260--i40 mm.) ; greatest width of tail, 129
mm. (112-150 mm.) ; hind foot, 169 mm. (156-183.)." (Handley and
Patton,1947,p.l58).
"The skull is large and massive, that of the adult more than 120 mni.
long and 85 mm. broad; . . . length of upper molar series about 28
to 30 mm." (Jackson, 1961, p. 192) .
Habitat and habits. — This species prefers forested areas wherever
there are suitable watercourses for the, construction of dams and
lodges. The sluggish fresh- water streams of the Eastern Shore section
are especially suited to their needs.
The beaver feeds on a wide range of plants. These may be sedges,
rushes, water grasses, various roots and tubers, and bark, leaves, and
twigs of bushes and trees. In winter it feeds primarily on green
branches that it stores under water near the lodge. In Maryland its
favorite trees appear to be sweetgum, pine, ash, dogwood, oak, and
maple.
These animals are monogamous, and it is believed that they mate
for life. Breeding begins about mid- January and extends to the end of
February. The gestation period is approximately 120 days, and a
single litter of from one to eight kits is produced a year (the most
frequent number being four or five).
The beaver's most important activity is felling trees for dams and
lodges. A large beaver lodge is about 5 to 6 feet high and 15 or 20 feet
wide at the water level. More often, however, smaller lodges are built,
some 3 to 4 feet in height and 8 to 10 feet in diameter. The inside of
a lodge consists of one room about 2 to 3 feet in height, and as many
as 8 to 10 beaver may occupy it. The opening to the lodge is always
under water. Many beavers, however, that inhabit lakes or deep
streams live in bank dens rather than constructing lodges and dams.
The beaver is active throughout the year, but is seldom active during
daylight hours. Its routine workday begins at dusk and ends at dawn.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 87
Young beavers in their second year leave the parental colonies and
emigrate to establish themselves in new colonies by pairs. Sometimes
they may move as much as 30 miles to a new home. Most of tliis
movement is accomplished in the water, because the animal is quite
clumsy and slow moving on land.
According to Mansueti (1950, p. 33) no one knows when Maryland's
native beavers were finally exterminated. He judges that on the basis
of when they disappeared in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, they prob-
ably were gone from the Maryland lowlands about 150 years ago
and that there were probably some native beavers left in western
Maryland less than 100 years ago. Their extirpation was due to a
number of reasons, the primary ones being heavy trapping pressure
for their pelts, and elimination of suitable habitat. Beaver have reap-
peared in Maryland in recent years either through deliberate intro-
ductions or as a result of their natural migrations from other states
where they had not been entirely extirpated or had been stocked.
They are flourishing now in certain areas, presumably because low
pelt value makes trapping unprofitable in the State.
Recent records and reports. — Bonwill and Owens (1939, pp. 36-37)
mention 3 areas of Maryland where these animals were thriving in
1939. One was on the Upper Potomac River near Gormania, Garrett
County ; the second on Town Creek in Allegany County ; and the third
at a point where the Andover and Sewell Creeks meet at the head of
the Chester River in Kent County. They believe that the first two
colonies were the result of migrations from colonies in Pennsylvania
or West Virginia that had escaped extermination in those States or
had been reintroduced there. The Kent County colony was a result of
migration from a colony in Delaware which had been stocked with
animals from Maine by the Delaw^are Board of Game and Fish Com-
missioners in 1935.
Amer (1949, p. 23) says that the beaver migrated into the western
Maryland Counties of Garrett and Allegany from colonies in West
Virginia and are firmly established in eight streams in Garrett County
and three streams in Allegany. They may be found in Garrett County
in the Youghiogheny River, Laurel Run, Harrington Creek, and
Broad Ford Run. In Allegany County they inhabit Evitts Creek and
Town Creek; and beaver cuttings have been found on Sideling Hill
in Washington County. He estimates that in 1949 there were 150
beavers in western Maryland.
Remarks. — Authorities are in agreement that Maryland's native
beaver population probably represented the subspecies C. c. cana-
densis. It is impossible to assign subspecific rank to Maryland's present
beaver population since they come from so many different sources,
and even some of the areas from which they have been stocked were
88 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
themselves stocked at an earlier period with animals from elsewhere.
No specimens of the native population or the present population of
beavers have been available to me for examination.
Family CRICETIDAE (deer mice, harvest mice, voles, etc.)
MARSH RICE RAT
Oryzomys palustris palustris (Harlan)
Mus palustris Harlan, Silliman's Amer. Jour. Sci., 31 : 385, 1837.
Type locality. — "Fast Land" near Salem, Salem County. N.J.
General distribution.— In the Coastal Plain from southeastern Pennsylvania
and southern New Jersey, south to northern Florida, west to the Mississippi
River and north in the Mississippi Valley to southeastern Missoiiri, southern
Illinois, and central Kentucky.
Distribution in Maryland. — Recorded only from the Eastern Shore
and Western Shore sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16; ratlike
in general appearance, but considerably smaller than adult Norway
rat; tail long, nearly half the total length; fur long and coarse; color of
upper parts grizzled grayish brown, mixed with blackish, sides paler
with less blackish; underparts white to pale buff; tail sparsely haired
and scaly, brownish above and whitish below. Young animals are
more grayish than adults.
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Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
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FiGUKE 32. — Distribution of Oryzomys palustris palustris.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 89
Marsh rice rats superficially resemble young Norway rats from
which they may be distinguished by the upper cheek teeth. These teeth
have two longitudinal rows of tubercles in rice rats; in Norway rats
there are three such rows.
Measurements. — An average-sized female from West Ocean City,
Worcester County, has measurements as follows: Total length 247;
tail 120 ; hind foot 30 ; ear 10 ; greatest length of skull 30.4 ; zygomatic
breadth 16.4 ; interorbital breadth 4.9 ; length of upper molar toothrow
4.4.
An adult female from Nanjemoy Creek, Charles County, has the
following external measurements: Total length 262; tail 127; hind
foot 30.
There is a peculiar size variation often encountered in this species.
Males and females generally average about the same size, but often
an apparently adult female may be strikingly smaller than the average.
Habitat and habits. — ^^This species is partially amphibious and shows
a great preference for wet meadows, marshy areas, watercourses, cane
breaks, and swamps, and is only rarely encountered in dry fields.
Marsh rice rats are polyestrous and breed from March to November
in Maryland (Harris, 1953, p. 485). The gestation period is 25 days
and the female mates again immediately after parturition. Litter size
varies from one to five with the average being three.
This species is an accomplished swimmer and does not hesitate to
dive and swim under water for great distances when alarmed. It makes
nests of grasses and weeds which may be placed under a mass of
tangled debris or woven into the rushes a foot or more above the high
water level. Its presence may usually be detected by the extensive and
well-defined runways it makes and by the mats of cut vegetation float-
ing at irregular intervals in the tidal waters. Sometimes, however,
there may be little evidence of rice rats in an area. Harris (1953, p.
481) says that in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dor-
chester County 40 percent of the 86 rice rat captures were made at
trap stations showing no signs of small mammals, but some were taken
at muskrat houses. Also, he was never able to locate any rice rat nests
in this area, and noted that only a few of the runways found light
have been made by this species. Rice rats are primarily nocturnal, and
Harris states that only rarely was this species observed in the dajlime.
In Maryland, rice rats are confined in distribution to the fresh and
salt water marshes of the Western Shore and Eastern Shore sections.
They seem to be particularly numerous in the fresh, brackish, and salt
water marshes of the lower Eastern Shore section and occur in great
numbers on Assateague Island, where they occupy the wetter portions
of these marshes.
90 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County : South River, at U.S.
Eoiite 50, 1. Charles County: Nanjemoy Creek, 5. Prince Georges
County: Oxon Hill, 2 miles NW, 2. Worcester County : Ocean City, 4
and 5 miles S ( Assateague Island) , 2 ; West Ocean City, 4.
Other records and reports. — Dorchester County : Blackwater Na-
tional Wildlife Refuge (Harris, 1953) .
EASTERN HARVEST MOUSE
Reithrodontomys humulis virginianus A. H. Howell
Reithrodontowys hun^ulis virginianus A. H. Howell, Jour. Mammal.,
21 (3) : 346, 13 August 1940.
Type locality. — Amelia, Va.
General distribution. — Known from central Virginia north to Maryland. Exact
northern limits of range unknown.
Distribution in Maryland. — Rare in Maryland; probably occurs
only in the Western Shore and southern Piedmont sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16; upper
incisors with conspicuous grooves; mouselike in form; tail about half
total length; coloration grayish-brown above with a distinct band of
blackish along the median line; sides of head and body paler, more or
less washed with light pinkish cinnamon, this color forming a definite
lateral line next to the belly; underparts grayish white; tail bicolored,
fuscous above, grayish white below; ears fuscous, feet white.
This species closely resembles the house mouse {Mus musoulus) in
general appearance, but may readily be distinguished from that species
by the deeply grooved upper incisors. In the eastern United States
the harvest mouse is the only long-tailed cricetine rodent with grooved
incisors.
Measurements. — An adult female from Takoma Park (near Riggs
Mill), Prince Georges County, measures as follows: Total length 132;
tail 59 ; hind foot 15.5 ; ear 12 ; greatest length of skull 20.0 ; zygomatic
breadth 10.1 ; least interorbital breadth 2.9; upper molar toothrow 2.5.
Howell (1940, p. 346) gives external measurements of 10 specimens
from the type locality as follows: Total length 117.2 (110-125) ; tail
vertebrae 51.8 (45-56) ; hind foot 16.2. The greatest length of skull
of these 10 specimens is 18.7 (18.3-19.1). It can be seen that the Mary-
land specimen is considerably larger both externally and in the great-
est length of the skull than topotypes of the subspecies from Amelia,
Va.
Habitat cond habits. — Tlie harvest mouse prefers nonforested land,
particularly cultivated fields where grain crops are growing. It seems
to be equally at home in dry fields or in bogs, provided there is thick
growth of tall grasses or sedges.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
91
Reithrodontomys humulis virginianus
• Specimen examined
Figure 33. — Distribution of Rcithrodontomys humulis virginianus.
Little is known of the habits of this species. It lives in the cover
of grass, weeds, and grains where it makes little runways over the
surface of the ground. According to Lewis (1940, p. 426), in Amelia
County, Va., it generally makes nests of fine grass blades on top of the
ground in tall grass or sedges. These nests are globular and average
larger than a croquet ball.
The breeding season is from May to November ; the number of young
from one to five ; the gestation period is about 23 days.
The food of the eastern harvest mouse consists largely of seeds and
grains with considerable green vegetation and occasionally fruit
(Howell, 1914, p. 11).
According to Bailey (1923, p. 118), many skulls of harvest mice
were found in owl pellets in the Smithsonian tower in Washington,
D.C. The owl, or owls, however, may have been feeding in nearby
Virginia and thus the skulls may not represent District of Colmnbia
or Maryland records. This rodent species has been trapped at only one
locality in Maryland.
S'peclm<ens examined. — Prince Georges County : Takoma Park (near
Riggs Mill), 1. Howell (1940, p. 346), reported examining two speci-
mens from Riggs Mill, and records in the files of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service indicate that Ray Greenfield actually took three spe-
cimens in that same area on 26 January 1934. Only one si^ecimen from
that locality, however, is now in the National collections.
92 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
DEER MOUSE
Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner)
Hespercnnys maimcvZatus Wagner, Arch. Naturgesch., Jahrg. 11, 1 :
148, 1845.
This is a wide- ranging species that occurs over much of North Amer-
ica. Numerous subspecies have been described ; of these, two are known
to occur in Maryland. They are :
Peromyscus maniculatus hairdii (Hoy and Kennicott)
Mus hairdii Hoy and Kennicott, in Kennicott, Agricultural Report,
U.S. C!ommissioners Patents, 1856, p. 92, 1897.
Type locality. — Bloomin^on, McLean County, 111.
General distribution. — Prairie region of the upper Mississippi Valley, from
eastern Kansas and Missouri ; north to southwestern Manitoba, Canada ; east-
ward through southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan to the man-made
prairie of central New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and northern Virginia.
Distribution in Maryland. — The distribution of this subspecies
within the State is unknown. It has been taken in Maryland only at the
Patuxent Research Center, Prince Georges County. (See fig. 34.)
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
coloration of upperparts brownish gray, mixed with darker hairs;
underparts white, the basal gray of the underfur often conspicuous;
tail short and distinctly bicolored, upperparts brownish black, white
beneath; feet white. Immature animals are more grayish dorsally.
This subspecies is readily distinguished from Peromyscus manicula-
tus rmbiterrae by its much shorter tail. It is easily confused with
Peromyscus leucofus^ but may be distinguished by several characters
which are discussed under that species.
Measurements. — External measurements of two adults from the
Patuxent Research (Center, Prince Georges County, (a wild-caught
female and one of her laboratory-raised offspring) are as follows:
Total length 152, 149; tail 63, 59; hind foot 18, 19; ear 13.5, 14.0.
Cranial measurements of three adults from the Patuxent Research
(3enter (the wild-caught female and two of her laboratory-raised off-
spring) are: Greatest length 23.1, 23.3, 23.0; zygomatic breadth 11.5,
12.1, 11.9; interorbital breadth 3.7, 3.9, 3.9; length of maxillary tooth-
row 3.0, 3.3, 3.3.
Habitat and hahits. — This subspecies inhabits prairies, open fields,
and arable land and is entirely absent from dense forests. It was un-
known in Maryland until 1949, when Lucille F. Stickel and Oscar
Warbach live-trapped several in crop fields at the Patuxent Research
Center. These fields are about 1.9 miles north of Bowie and are situated
on a wide bench of sandy clay near the Patuxent River. From May
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 93
1949 to June 1950, 23 of these mice were captured by Stickel and
Warbach.
According to W. H. Stickel (1951, p. 26) the Maryland specimens
of this race were most often caught in corn and in young wheat ; only
occasionally were they found in hay or tall wheat. He says that the
subspecies seems to be precariously established at the Patuxent Re-
search Center and was not common, nor did the numbers appear to
increase, during the year the area was extensively studied.
Peromyscus m. hairdii is essentially a subspecies of the prairie re-
gion of the upper Mississippi Valley. In recent years it appears to have
been extending its range eastward consequent with the deforestation
of wide areas of land in the eastern United States, In 1909, Osgood
(1909, p. 79) knew it only from as far east as Ohio. In 1934, Mitchell
(1934, p. 71) recorded it from Meadville, Pa., and in 1938, Moulthrop
(1938, p. 503) listed it from Elba, Genesee County, N.Y. Hamilton
( 1950, p. 100) recorded the first appearance of hairdii in 1947 at Ithaca,
N.Y., an area that had been heavily trapped for the previous 20 years,
and mentioned the capture of the subspecies at North Harrisburg,
Dauphin County, Pa,, the first record from east of the Appalachian
Mountains. More recently. Peacock and Peacock (1962, p, 98) have
taken specimens from the area being developed into Dulles Airport,
near Chantilly, Fairfax County, Va,
Stickel (1951, p, 26) states that no doubt the animal is expanding
its range by natural means in consequence of artificially created habi-
tats, but the possibility of accidental transportation is considerable.
It may be that the mouse has succeeded in crossing the heavily forested
Appalachian Mountains by following the grass-lined banks and
shoulders that line the roads in that area. It would in this way remain
ecologically separated from P&roinyscus m, nubiterrae^ the race in-
habiting the dense forests of the Appalachians.
Just how widely hairdii is distributed in Maryland is unknown. No
additional specimens have been taken since Stickel and Warbach col-
lected those at the Patuxent Research Center in 1939. I have trapped
many cultivated fields in central Maryland and grassy roadsides in
the western part of the State with the hope of obtaining additional
records, but without success. The recent records from nearby Chantilly,
Va., however, lead me to believe that the subspecies is probably widely
distributed, although perhaps scarce as regards total numbers, in open
fields throughout Maryland.
These mice feed largely on seeds, grain, and the ripe heads of grasses ;
berries and numerous insects are also consumed. The nest is built
slightly underground, or on the surface, and usually placed under
some object, such as a board, fallen tree limb, rock, or old pasteboard
carton. The breeding season generally begins in early March and ex-
536-897 O — 69 7
94
NORTH AMEBICANi FAUNA 66
tends through November. A female may breed three or four times
yearly, and a litter may contain from two to nine young, although four
to six is the most common number.
Specimens excmimed. — Prince Georges County: Patuxent Research
Center, 3.
Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae Rhoads
Peromyscus leucopus nuhiterrae Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila-
delphia, 48 : 187, April 1896.
Type locality. — Summit of Roan Mountain, Mitchell Ck>unty, North Carolina.
Altitude 6,370 feet.
General distribution. — Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent
ranges from western Pennsylvania and New York, south to western North Caro-
lina and northeastern Georgia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Found in the Allegheny Mountain sec-
tion at elevations usually above 2,500 feet.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar in coloration and size to
P. m. hairdii, but is readily distinguished from that subspecies by its
much longer tail, which is more than half the total length of the ani-
mal. Usually nubiterrae has larger ears and feet than bairdii.
In general, nubiterrae can be distinguished from Peromyscus leuco-
jms by certain subtle differences in coloration. Some specimens of
nubiterrae., however, are confusingly similar to Peromyscus leucopus^
Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii
▲ Specimens examined
Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
FiQtJBE 34. — Distribution of Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae and P. m. bairdii.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 95
and their distinguishing characteristics are discussed in more detail
under that species.
Measurements. — Thirteen adults from Finzel, Garrett County, have
external measurements as follows: Total length 179.3 (172-190) ; tail
93.1 (82-102) ; hind foot 20.5 (20-22). Eleven adults from Finzel have
the following cranial measurements: Greatest length 24.6 (24.3-25.3) ;
zygomatic breadth 12.3 (11.7-13.3); interorbital breadth 3.7 (3.5-
3.9) ; maxillary toothrow 3.3 (3.2-3.5).
Habitat and habits. — This subspecies prefers dense woods and is
most abundant among mossy boulders and logs in moist spruce and
fir forests at higher elevations. E. A. Preble (in field notes) gives
information about where he took specimens in Garrett County. He
says that they were common in a tract of hemlock woods about 3 miles
east of Grantsville. One specimen was taken in a small strip of decidu-
ous trees and shrubs adjoining a field where Peromyscus leuco'pus was
also taken. At Finzel, at an elevation of about 2,600 feet, he found that
these mice were abundant and inhabiting all sorts of situations from
the dry hillsides and edges of fields to the deep hemlock swamps, while
at Bittinger (elevation about 2,600 feet) they were abundant only in
the deep woods.
This mouse nests in burrows under rocks aiid logs and sometimes in
hollow trees. It is somewhat arboreal and may build tree nests as high
as 50 feet above the ground (J. W. Bailey, 1946, p. 216). Two or three
litters, of from two to seven young, are produced each season. Food
consists of seeds, nuts, and berries, supplemented with insects, snails,
and occasionally dead birds and other mice.
Specimens exan^in^d. — Allegany County: Frostburg, 1. Garrett
County: Bittinger, 6 ; Finzel, 18 ; Grantsville, 16 ; Swallow Falls State
Forest (near Muddy Creek Falls) , 1.
Other records and reports. — Garrett County: New Germany (Coll.
Nat, Hist. Soc. Maryland) .
WHITE- FOOTED MOUSE
Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis (Fisher)
[Mu^. sylvaticus'] noveboracensis Fisher, Synopsis Mammalium, p.
318, 1829.
Type locality. — New York.
General distribution. — From eastern and southern Ontario, east to Maine, south
along the Atlantic coast into Virginia, West Virginia, and northern Kentucky,
westward, south of Great Lakes, to eastern North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne-
braska, northeastern Oklahoma, and northwestern Arkansas.
Distribution in Marylamd. — Occurs abundantly in all sections of the
State.
96 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Peromyeaus leucopus noveboraaensis
C Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 35. — Distribution of Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis.
Distinguishing characteristics. — The white- footed mouse closely re-
sembles the deer mouse {Peromyscus mamiculatus) , from which it may
be distinguished as follows :
From Peromyscus m. hairdii it differs in being larger, longer tailed,
lighter and more brightly colored with more reddish on sides and back,
and in having noticeably larger ears and feet ; the tail is less distinctly
bicolored.
Cranially, P. 7. navehoraeensis is larger than P. nh. hairdii., and the
incisive foramina are differently shaped. These foramina are anteriorly
constricted in noveboracensis, and open and evenly curved in hairdii.
A detailed comparison of these two forms is given by Stickel (1951,
p. 25-32).
From Peromyscus m. nuhiterrae, P. I. novehoracensis differs in being
larger, shorter tailed, (tail less than half the total length of the animal)
and more brightly colored, with more reddish on sides and back. This
color difference is subtle in individual specimens but becomes apparent
when large series of both species are examined. The tail in novehora-
censis is less distinctly bicolored than in nuhiterrae.
Some specimens of nuhiterrae and leucojms are so similar in external
characteristics that only by a detailed examination of the skull can they
be separated. The skull of nuhiterrae is slender and elongated, the
braincase considerably flattened, whereas cranially novehoracensis is
broader and heavier with the braincase more inflated. As in P. m.
MAMMALS OF MARYLANI> 97
hairdii, the incisive foramina of nubiterrae are open and evenly curved,
while in noveboracensis they are anteriorly constricted. The teeth in
the latter form, even in juvenile animals, are noticeably larger and
more robust than in nubiterrae.
Measurements. — External measurements of eight adults from Alle-
gany County (Dans Mountain State Park, and vicinity of Oldtown)
are as follows: Total length 174.4 (170-188) ; tail 76.2 (70-92) ; hind
foot 21.1 (20-22) ; ear 15.7 (13-18). Nine adults from the same locali-
ties have the following cranial measurements: Greatest length 26.2
(26.0-26.7) ; zygomatic breadth 13.4 (12.7-14.0) ; interorbital breadth
4.1 (3.9-4.3) ; maxillary toothrow 3.6 (3.4-3.8).
Habitat and habits. — This species is primarily a woodland inhab-
itant, but is often found in brushy regions and sometimes in grassy
areas that border woodlands. It is one of the most abundant mammals
in Maryland. On Assateague Island their tracks have been observed
even on the bare sand dunes a few yards from the ocean beach. Usually,
however, this mouse will be found not more than 50 feet from woods or
forests, of which it seems to prefer the deciduous woods, especially
oak-hickory forest.
Nests are built almost anywhere. Although it apparently does not
dig its own burrow, or make a trail, this mouse will utilize burrows
or trails of other small mammals. Jackson (1961, p. 218) says that it
seems to prefer a tree site for its nest, usually about 6 to 8 feet from
the ground, but that he has found them in abandoned squirrel nests as
high as 20 feet above ground. He says that often the nest is built in
a hollow tree or limb, and that another favorite site is under an old
stump or log. The nest itself is composed of soft material such as grass,
leaves, or other vegetation. It is usually about 10 or 12 inches in diam-
eter and 6 or 8 inches deep.
Breeding takes place in late February or early March, and the first
litter is bom in April. The gestation period is variable, but is usually
between 23 and 25 days, and the litter size varies from one to seven,
usually three to six, with four the most frequent number. Each female
may produce as many as four litters during the breeding season.
The principal food for the species is seeds of various grasses, weeds,
clover, small fruits, and grain as well as acorns and hickory nuts. In-
sects form a small portion of the diet as does green herbage. This mouse
sometimes occupies houses, where it may be bothersome. On Assateague
Island in 1957 and 1958, white-footed mice were inhabiting the houses
and outbuildings, while house mice {Mu^ nuasculus) occurred in the
woods and marshes, but apparently not in the houses.
Specimens examiTied. — Allegany County: Dans Mountain State
Park, 13; Green Ridge, 4; Mount Savage, 11; Oldtown, 4 miles E,
98 NORTH AMERIOANi FAUNA 66
31 ; Oldtown, 9 miles E, 12 ; Rawlings, 2 ; Sideling Hill Creek, 8. Anne
Arundel County: Annapolis, 3 miles NW, 12; Priest Bridge, 4; South
River (at U.S. Route 50), 10. Baltimore County: Lake Roland, 5;
Loch Raven, 7; Notch Cliff, 1. Calvert County: Battle Creek (Cypress
Swamp), 4; Cove Point, 3; Drum Point, 2; Scientist Cliffs, 1; Solo-
mons, 2; Solomons, 31^ miles N, 17. Charles County: Nanjemoy Creek,
2; Newport, 6; Zekiah Swamp, 4. Dorchester County: Cambridge, 5.
Garrett County: Cranberry Swamp, 7; Grantsville, 4; Swallow Falls,
2 miles S, 2; S wanton, 3. Howard County: Atholton, 6. Montgomery
County: Burnt Mills, 2; Cabin John (vicinity of), 4; Cupids Bower
Island (vicinity of), 5; Forest Glen, 1; Great Falls, 1; Kensington,
5; Linden, 2; Plummers Island, 4; Rockville (vicinity of), 6; Seneca
Creek (at Clopper Road), 5; Silver Spring, 26; Takoma Park, 1;
Woodside, 1. Prince Georges County : Anacostia River, NW Branch,
3; Bladensburg, 7; Branchville, 2; Broad Creek (Indian Head Bluff),
4; Collingwood (= Collington?) 1 mile S, 2; Hyattsville, 4 ; Lanham,
4; Laurel, 10; Oxon Hill, 12; Riggs Mill, 1 ; Riverdale, 3. Washington
County : Bear Creek, just N of U.S. Route 40, 2. Wicomieo County:
Powellsville, 1. Worcester County: Snow Hill, 1 mile NE, 1; Ocean
City, 5 miles S, 1. District of Columbia: 62.
Other records amd reports. — Allegany County: La Vale (Coll. U.
Md.). Anne Arundel County: Dorsey (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice files). Cecil County: Rising Sun (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
files). Garrett County: Muddy Creek Falls (Mansueti and Flyger,
1952, p. 250). Kent Cmmty: Chestertown (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service files). Prince Georges County: Bowie (Lucille F. Stickel,
1946, p. 301).
Remarks. — Specimens from the Eastern Shore section (Cambridge,
Powellsville, Snow Hill, and Assateague Island), as well as Virginia
specimens from Accomack and Northampton Counties on the lower
Delmarva Peninsula, are not typical novehoracensis but are somewhat
darker in coloration, and smaller in size, and appear to be intergrades
with P. I. leu/ioptis (Rafinesque). The type locality of P. I. leucofus
is in western Kentucky, which is also an area of intergradation. Mary-
land specimens from the Eastern Shore section are only slightly larger
and paler than specimens from western Kentucky near the type lo-
cality of P. I. leucopus. Nevertheless, they are considerably different
from P. I. leucopus from southern Louisiana (where the subspecies is
best characterized) both in size and coloration, and are more closely
related to P. I, novehoracensis from central New England where nove-
horacensis is best characterized) than to Louisianan P. I. leucopus.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 99
EASTERN WOOD RAT
Neotoma floridana magister Baird
N[eotoma]. magister Baird, Mammals, in Kepts. Expl. Surv. . . ,
8 (1):498, 14 July 1858.
Type locality. — Cave near Carlisle, Cumberland County, or near Harrisburg,
Dauphin County, Pa.
General distribution. — Appalachian Mountain region, from extreme western
Connecticut and southern New York, south through western Virginia and Ten-
nessee to the Tennessee River in northern Alabama, west to central Kentucky
and northward to extreme southern Indiana.
Distribution m Maryland. — The Allegheny Mountain and Ridge
and Valley sections; occurs east of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the
Piedmont section along the cliffs and bluffs of the Potomac River to
the vicinity of Washington, D.C. It may occur among the cliffs and
bluffs of river valleys elsewhere in the Piedmont section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
size large; coloration grizzled grayish dorsaUy, with some buffy
intermixture, paler and more buffy on sides; underparts and feet
white; ears large and naked; tail long, hairy, and distinctly bicolored,
black dorsally and white underneath; vibrissae very long, and black
or white in coloration. The young are similar to the adults, but are
grayer.
This species may be confused with the Norway rat, which it resem-
bles superficially. It may be distinguished from that species by its
larger naked ears, its much longer vibrissae, its longer, more hairy,
and bicolored tail, and its softer, more grizzled grayish coloration. In
addition, the molar teeth of the two species differ. In the eastern wood
rat the crowns are flat, with the enamel thrown into prismatic folds ;
in the Norway rat the molars are tuberculate.
Measurements. — An adult male from 9 miles E of Oldtown, Al-
legany County, measures as follows : Total length 430 ; tail 188 ; hind
foot 42; ear 30; greatest length of skull 56.2; interorbital breadth
6.8 ; length of nasals 21.5 ; length of molar toothrow 9.3.
Hamilton (1943, p. 306) gives the following external measurements
for 10 adults from New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia : Total
length 423 (405-441) ; tail 186 (170-200) ; hind foot 43.5 (40-46).
Habitat and habits. — The eastern wood rat prefers cliffs, rock slides,
caves, and bare patches in the moimtainous regions of the State. It
ranges into the Piedmont section at least in the Potomac River Valley,
where it lives in the cliffs and rocks that border the river. It may occur
in the bluffs that border other rivers in the Piedmont section, and has
been reported from Woodside, Montgomery County (Wetmore, 1923,
p. 187). In the Potomac River Valley, it has been found as far south
100 NORTH AMEBICANi FAUNA 66
Neotoma flondana magieter
9 Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 36. — Distribution of Neotoma floridana magister.
as Plummers Island, Montgomery County, and on the Virginia side of
the river at Chain Bridge.
Wood rats were particularly abundant in the vicinity of Oldtown,
Allegany County, in the fall of 1961, where virtually every rocky out-
cropping contained signs of them, Tliey had taken up residence under
the front porch of a hunting cabin 9 miles east of Oldtown, and the
sounds of their activity could be heard all night. They are inquisitive
animals, and one had thoroughly explored an automobile that was
parked nearby, even crawling into the engine compartment, leaving
tracks everywhere in the dust.
The eastern wood rat appears to have moved into Maryland's Pied-
mont section only within recent years, Wetmore (1923, p, 187) reports
that although Plummers Island had been under observation by Wash-
ington naturalists since 1902, it wasn't until 1921 that the species was
discovered to be resident there. It was known, however, to inhabit the
cliffs along the Virginia side of the Potomac River as far south as
Chain Bridge for many years before it was first reported from Plum-
mers Island, and it seems probable that the Plummers Island popula-
tion crossed over from Virginia during a winter when the Potomac
was frozen over, Wetmore (1923) says that one was killed on Plum-
mers Island on 25 June 1921, by Mr, W, R. Maxon, but was not pre-
served. On 26 September and 15 October 1921, two specimens were
collected and preserved in the Biological Survey collection. In the
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 101
same year, five nests of this species were discovered beneath the cabin
on the island.
Wetmore (1923) describes the nests of the eastern wood rat on
Plummers Island as being composed of bits of finely shredded cedar
bark and similar materials that formed a flattened mass 12 to 15 inches
across with a small depression in the center. As it was warm weather
the cavities were open above, but the walls were so arranged that they
could be pulled out to form a domed covering if the need for greater
warmth arose.
Wood rats eat practically any vegetation they can obtain, including
fruits and berries, fungi, ferns, rhododendron, and a host of others.
The species breeds from spring until fall, and as many as three broods
may be raised annually. The gestation period is 30 to 36 days, and one
to three young are usually born.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 1 (Coll.
U. Md.) ; Oldtown, 9 miles E, 1. Garrett County : Backbone Mountain,
Savage River Dam Site, 2 (Coll. U. MA.). Montgomery County: Plum-
mers Island, 2, Washington Coum,ty: Bear Creek, just north of U.S.
40,1 (Coll.U.Md.).
Other records and reports. — Montgomery County: Perry's Island
(Wetmore, 1923 : 187) ; Woodside (Wetmore, 1923 : 187).
RED-BACKED MOUSE
Clethrionomys gapperi gapperi (Vigors)
Arvicola gapperi Vigors, Zool. Jour., 5 : 204, 1830.
Type locality. — Between York [Toronto] and Lake Simeoe, Ontario, Canada.
General distrihuUon. — Massachusetts south in the Appalachians to western
Virginia and west through New York, northern Michigan, and southern Ontario
to eastern Minnesota.
Distribution vn Marylamd. — Occurs on the cooler forested slopes in
the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
cheek teeth rooted in adults; size medium; coloration of upper parts
rusty red, becoming buffy on the sides and around the face; under-
parts buffy white; tail less than a third of total length of animal, and
bicolored, blackish above, paler below.
This mouse may be distinguished from most other Maryland mice
by its reddish coloration and short tail. It resembles the pine mouse,
however, in both these characters, but differs in that the reddish
coloration is confined to the dorsum, whereas in the pine mouse the
reddish coloration extends onto the sides. In addition, the ears of the
red-backed mouse are larger, the tail is considerably longer, and the
fur is longer, coarser, and less mole-like.
102
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Clethrionomys gapperi gappen
Specimens examined
Figure 37. — Distribution of Clethrionomys gapperi gapperi.
Measurements. — Ten adults from Garrett County have the follow-
ing external and cranial measurements : Total length 147.3 (140-155) ;
tail 42.9 (38-48) ; hind foot 19.5 (19-20) ; condylobasal length of skull
24.9 (24.1-25.8) ; zygomatic breadth 13.3 (13.0-13.7) ; interorbital
breadth 4.0 (3.9-4.2) ; length of molar toothrow 54 (5.2-5.6).
Habitat and habits. — ^This mouse prefers cool, damp, forested areas
where it lives among the mossy rocks and rotten logs. In the northern
part of its range it is widely distributed, but in Maryland it is re-
stricted to the higher mountains, where it is locally abundant. Preble
(field notes) took the red-backed mouse at Finzel on the border of a
hemlock woods, and at Grantsville he found that it was very common
in a tract of hemlocks 3 miles east of the town. It was also abundant
in the mixed forest covering the steep slopes on the east side of the
Castleman River, and in the hemlock woods near Bittinger. At Moun-
tain Lake Park, Preble took a specimen among rocks in an oak woods,
and at Swanton he trapped a very dark individual in deep hemlock
woods. Bookhout tells me that he trapped one in Allegany County in
a rock outcrop in a second-growth oak-hickory forest.
This species does not make elaborate tunnels, but will occupy those
made by moles and shrews. Jackson (1961, pp. 227-228) has described
a nest in detail. It was located among the rootlets of small trees and
was some 3 inches in diameter. The nest was merely a small carpet of
grass stems and a few particles of dead leaves and moss, the entire
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 103
bulk of which would be no larger than a man's thumb. Another nest
was located at a depth of about 18 inches under a rotten elm stump. It
was situated on top of the soil underneath a root of the stump, and
was 4 inches in diameter and about 1 inch in depth, slightly hollow
and without cover other than the log abovB. It was composed of small
pieces of dry leaves, bark, hazelnut shells, hemlock cones, twigs, dry
sphagnum, and green moss.
According to Hamilton (1941, p. 259), in New York State about
three- fourths of the food of this species is composed of green vegeta-
tion. In addition, a large part of the diet consists of nuts and seeds.
Insects are not as often eaten as they are by white-footed mice.
The red-backed mouse does not hibernate, but it does actively gather
stores in the fall in preparation for winter. The breeding season is
protracted, beginning in the late winter or early spring and extending
well into fall. One litter follows another during the breeding season,
and from two to eight young comprise a litter. The gestation period
is 17 to 19 days.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 6 (Coll.
IT. Md.) ; Town Hill Mountain, near beacon light, 1 (Coll. U. Md.).
Garrett County: Bittinger, 7; Cranberry Swamp, 4 (Coll. U. Md.) ;
Finzel, 5 ; Grantsville, 3 miles E, 15 ; Mountain Lake Park, 1 ; Swallow
Falls State Forest (near Muddy Creek Falls) , 1 ; Swanton, 1 ; Thayer-
ville Swamp, 2 (Coll. U. Md.) ; Wolf Swamp, 1.
Remarks. — Maryland C. g. gapperi average somewhat darker and
slightly larger than specimens of this subspecies from Ontario and
central New York. They appear to be intergrades between C. g. gapperi
and C. g. caroUnensis but are more closely related to the former. The
specimen collected by Preble in the deep hemlock woods at Swanton
is as dark and large, however, as typical caroUnensis.
MEADOW VOLE
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord)
Two races of this widespread and abundant small mammal are
recognizable in Maryland. They are :
Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus (Ord)
Mits pennsylvanicus Ord, in Guthrie, a new geogr., hist., comm.
grammar . . . Philadelphia, 2d Amer. ed., 2: 292, 1815.
Type locality. — Meadows below Philadelphia, Pa.
General distribution. — From Quebec and New Brunswick, south into Georgia,
and west into Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
Distribution in Maryland. — Distributed in the Piedmont, Ridge and
Valley, and Allegheny Mountain sections. Intergrades with Microtus
104 NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
/>. nigrans in the Eastern Shore and Western Shore sections, and is re-
placed by that subspecies in the southern Eastern Shore and southeast-
ern Western Shore sections. (See fig. 38.)
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
molar teeth rootless and persistently growing; coloration of upper-
parts dull chestnut brown, darkest along the middle of the back;
underparts grayish white, or buffy white; feet grayish brown; tail
dusky above, paler below, fur overlaid with coarse guard hairs;
tail less than a third of total length of animal.
This vole is similar in appearance to the red-backed mouse
( Clethrionomys gappeH) , but is larger and more brownish in colora-
tion, and lacks the red dorsal band. It is also similar in appearance to
the pine vole {Pitymys pinetorum) but has coarser pelage, bigger ears,
and a longer tail. It dilEfers from the southern bog lemming {Synap-
tomys cooperi) in its coarser, shorter pelage and much longer tail,
and in lacking grooved upper incisors.
Measurements. — Eleven adults from the vicinity of Oldtown,
Allegany County, have the following external and cranial measure-
ments: Total length 169.2 (161.0-187.0) ; condylobasal length of skull
28.5 (28.1-29.0); zygomatic breadth 15.4 (14.8-15.9); interorbital
breadth 3.6 (3.4-4.0) ; maxillary toothrow 6.9 (6.5-7.3). Males average
somewhat larger than females.
Habitat and habits. — This vole is numerous in fields and meadows
throughout the State. It is also common in marshes and similar areas
with heavy growth of grass ; occasionally it is found in orchards and
open woodland if the ground cover is grassy. This is one of the most
abundant mammals in Maryland.
Meadow voles construct extensive runways on the surface of the
ground. These runways are about IY2 inches in diameter and run in
a network under the cover of dead grass. They are sometimes the
only sign of the presence of these voles in an area. If the runway is
fresh and is being used, there will generally be droppings and cut
pieces of grass at various intervals along it. The nest of the meadow
vole is usually constructed on the surface of the ground in one of the
runways. It is bulky, generally about 5 or 6 inches in diameter and
3 or 4 inches deep, usually covered, but sometimes not.
The meadow vole is active both day and night. It is cyclic in nature
and the reproductive habits vary from year to year (Hamilton, 1937).
It is polyestrous and may breed the year round, although in Mary-
land there is a tendency not to breed during the coldest part of win-
ter. The females reach puberty and begin to breed at 25 days of age,
and from six to eight young generally comprise a litter. The gestation
period in this species is 21 days, or a little less, and as many as 17
litters may be produced in a year.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 105
The food of the meadow vole consists chiefly of fresh grass, sedges,
grains, and seeds. Green vegetation comprises the major portion of
its diet in the spring and summer, while in the fall, grains and seeds
are an important commodity. In winter, bark and roots of shrubs
and trees are sometimes consumed.
Hamilton (1943, p. 327) says that the meadow vole is of great eco-
nomic importance. By girdling fruit trees and nursery stock it causes
monetary loss to the horticulturist. The amount of forage crops it
consumes, while difficult to measure, is in the aggregate a very great
loss to the farmer. It does, however, perform a useful function in
providing predatory birds and mammals with an abundant source of
food.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Cumberland, 2; Mount
Savage, 8; Oldtown, 4 miles E, 19; Oldtown, 9 miles E, 74; Sideling
Hill Creek, 3. Anne Arundel County: Annapolis, 1 mile W, 6; Annap-
olis, 3 miles W, 4; Annapolis, 4 miles W, 2; Lake Shore area, 1.
Baltimore County : Loch Raven, 2. Charles County : Nanjemoy Creek,
2; Newport, 5. Garrett County: Finzel, 1; Grantsville, 1; Mountain
Lake Park, 2. Hoioard County : Atholton, i/^ mile S, 5; Long Corner,
1. Montgomery County: Cabin John Bridge, 1 mile N, 1 ; Kensington,
1 ; Rockville, 2.3 miles NE, 3 ; Seneca, li/g miles NW, 26 ; Seneca, 2.9
miles W, 52; Silver Spring (vicinity), 5. Prince Georges County: Col-
lingwood (=Collington?), i/^ mile S, 2; Hyattsville, 10; Lanham, 1;
Laurel, 30; Oxon Hill, 11; Riggs Mill, 1. Queen Annes County:
Parson Island, 2. District of Columbia: 91.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Dans Mountain
(Coll. U. Md.) ; La Vale (Coll. U. Md.) ; McCoole (Coll. Carnegie
Museum). Anne Anmdel County: Dorsey (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service files). Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area
(Bures, 1948, p. 67) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 6). Gar-
ret County: Cranberry Swamp (Coll. U. Md.). Cranes ville Pine
Sw^amp (Mansueti, 1958, p. 83) ; Cunningham Swamp (Coll. U. Md.).
Prince Georges County: Patuxent Research Center (Herman and
Warbach,1956,p.87).
Remarks. — This subspecies intergrades with Microtus p. nigrans in
the Eastern Shore and Western Shore sections. Specimens from the
northern portion of these sections (Parson Island, Annapolis vicinity.
Laurel, Oxon Hill) are, however, clearly referable to M. p. pennsyl-
vanicus, as is a small series from New^port, in the south central
Western Shore section.
106
NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
Microtus pennsylvanicus nigrans Rhoads
Microtus pennsylvanicus nigrans Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 49 : 307, 18 June 1897.
Type locality. — Currituck, Currituck County, N.C.
General distribution. — Near the coast from southeastern Maryland to north-
eastern North Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Southern Eastern Shore section at least
as far north as Cambridge, Dorchester County, and southeastern
Western Shore section in Calvert and probably St. Marys Counties.
This subspecies intergrades with Microtus p. pennsyVvanicus in the
central portion of the Western Shore section and in the northern part
of the Eastern Shore section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar to Microtus p. pennsylva-
nicus except that it is somewhat larger and has a darker coloration,
almost black in some pelages.
79' 7'e*
1 '
V
^l^'
7
p
'lllm^^^^^|m
B
f/fi
-39«-
O lO ZO 30MILES
m
% Sm ik
mm
-3S°-
Microtus pennsylvaniaus pennsylvaniaus
• Specimens examined Y
O Specimens reported ^
^m
1
!^^^^
Microtus pennsylvaniaus nigrans
▲ Specimens examined
^^
^K
-3a*-
f f
1
V
76«
aaa
Figure 38. — Distribution of Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus and M. p.
nigrans.
Measurements. — External and cranial measurements of seven adults
from Drum Point, Calvert County, are as follows: Total length 173.1
(168-184) ; tail 47.8 (42-52) ; hind foot 22.6 (22-23) ; ear 14.3 (12-
16) ; condylobasal length of skull 29.1 (28.1-30.5) ; zygomatic breadth
MAMMALS OF MARTLANB 107
15.9 (15.4^16.6) ; interorbital breadth 3.8 (3.5^.0) ; maxillary tooth-
row 6.8 (6.6-6.9).
Habitat and habits. — In the southern Eastern Shore section, this
subspecies abounds in the dryer portions of brackish and salt marshes
along the Atlantic seacoast and the Chesapeake Bay. It is probably
the most abundant mammal occurring on Assateague Island. As an ex-
ample of its numbers on this outer barrier island, it may be noted
that in a single night in the spring of 1956, 60 specimens were taken
in 100 traps set in tall grass and myrtle on the edge of a fresh water
impoundment on the Virginia portion of the island a few miles south
of the Maryland line. It also lives in the marshes of the Blackwater
National Wildlife Kefuge in Dorchester County where it builds nests
in muskrat houses (Harris, 1953) .
In the Western Shore section, in Calvert County, this vole has
been taken in dry meadows and brushy fields.
The habits of this subspecies apparently differ in no essential respect
from those of Miorotus p. pennsylvanicus.
Specimens exwrmrved. — Calvert County: Breezy Point, 1; Drum
Point, 12; Scientists Cliffs Road (1 mile E Route 2), 2. Dorchester
Govmty: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 5 ; Cambridge, 5. Wor-
cester C&wnty: Assateague Island, 4 and 5 miles S Ocean City, 10.
PINE VOLE
Pitytnys pinetorum scalopsoides (Aud. and Bachman)
Arvicola scalopsoides Audubon and Bachman, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 1 : 97, October 1841.
Type locality. — Long Island, N.Y,
General distribution. — Northeastern United States, from central New England,
south to Virginia and western North Carolina, west to Illinois and Wisconsin.
Distribution in Maryland. — Common in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
molar teeth not rooted, and grow persistently; tail very short, buffy
brown above, lighter below; ears very short, and hidden in fur;
pelage short, soft and glossy, almost mole-like; coloration russet to
chestnut brown on dorsum, becoming lighter on sides; underparts
grayish buff; feet grayish brown.
This species resembles the meadow vole [Miorotus pennsylvanicus)
from which it may be distingiiished by its shorter tail, shorter ears,
and finer, more russet pelage. It differs from the red-backed mouse
{Clethrionomys gapperi) in that the reddish coloration of the dorsum
extends onto the sides and is not confined to a band on the dorsum ;
smaller ears; shorter tail; fur shorter, softer and more mole-like.
108
NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66
79- 76"
1 '
V
^r
rj,
i
p«r^
■
8
1
-39«-
SCALE
O lO 20 30MILES
m
1
-ss»-
Pitymye pinetorum scalopsoides
• Specimens examined
^lITIIftl IWi
O Specimens reported
^"'^'^^M/l/n
^'^
'^nillM
nJ-liii ul
-36'-
"^
%
m
#■
rj. r*^'
1
1
76»
.... , . .9P«
Figure 39. — Distribution of Pitymys pinetorum scalopsoides.
From the southern bog lemming {Synaptomys cooperi) this species
may be readily distinguished by the lack of grooves on the upper
incisors.
Measv^ements. — Ten adults from the District of Columbia have
the following external measurements: Total length 124.8 (120-131) ;
tail 22.1 (15-25); hind foot 16.6 (16-18). Eleven adults from the
District of Columbia have cranial measurements as follows: Con-
dylobasal length 24.9 (24.2-25.9) ; zygomatic breadth 15.5 (14.2-16.3) ;
interorbital breadth 4.2 (3.9-4.6) ; length of maxillary toothrow 6.1
(5.8-6.5).
Habitat and habits. — This species is not particular with regard to
habitat preference, being found in old fields, wood borders, and culti-
vated fields, especially in loose sandy soils. It is often found in old
apple orchards where the soil is mellow and sandy, and the grass
and weeds have been allowed to grow, forming a heavy protective
carpet of vegetation. The fallen apples also provide the mice with
food in autumn, and the bark of apple roots supply a favorite winter
food. Contrary to its name, the pine vole is seldom found in pine woods
in Maryland.
Hamilton (1938, pp. 163-170) in his life history study of the spe-
cies says that the animal threads its way just beneath the thick carpet
of leaves which forms a ceiling to its burrow. Rarely the pine vole
tunnels to a depth of a foot or more, but by far the greater number
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 109
of burrows are shallow, descending to a depth of only 3 or 4 inches.
In orchards it tunnels its way to fallen apples, and then burrows up
from underneath to feed on the fruit. These mice seldom leave their
subterranean burrows.
The nest of the pine vole is globular in shape, and composed of
almost any material the animal can procure, generally dead leaves
and grasses. The nest may be just below the ground surface, or, oc-
casionally under some shallow-rooted stump. Usually there are three
or four exits.
This species feeds largely on roots and tubers, bulbs, and the bark
of trees and shrubs. It seldom eats green vegetation, seeds, or most
kinds of fruit, although it does relish apples and pears. Generally,
considerable quantities of roots and tubers, which presumably are
utilized as the bulk of the winter food, are stored in its burrows. Pine
voles often are responsible for depredations in orchards, where they
frequently girdle apple trees severely.
This species is cyclic, and according to Hamilton (1938, p. 166) its
reproductive behavior undoubtedly varies from year to year as does
that of Microtus. The breeding season is from early March to mid-
November, and small litters of from two to four young are produced.
Tlie gestation period in all probability approximates the 21 days of
Microtus.
SpeciTTvens examined. — Allegany County: Oldtown, 9 miles E, 4.
Awne Anmdel County: Annapolis, 3 miles NW, 2; Lake Shore area,
2. Calvert County : Plum Point, 2 miles W, 1 ; Solomons Island, 3i/^
miles N, 1. Carroll County: Hampstead, 1. Charles County: Newport,
3; Port Tobacco, 3 miles SW, 1. Dorchester County: Cambridge, 3.
Garrett County: Grantsville, 1. Howard County: Long Comer, 1.
Montgomery County: Chevy Chase, 1; Kensington, 2; Montg-omery
Knolls, 1 ; Plummers Island, 5 ; Poolesville, 1 mile NE, 1 ; Eockville,
2.3 miles NE, 10; Seneca, 1.3 miles W, 1; Seneca, li^ miles NW, 1;
Silver Spring, 1; Takoma Park, 1; Woodside, 5. Prince Georges
County: Bladensburg, 1; Laurel, 9; Oxon Hill, 1. District of Colu/m-
hia: 61.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Green Ridge (Coll.
U. Md.). Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures,
1948: 68); Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939: 7). Prince Georges
County: Patuxent Research Center, along Patuxent River (Stickel,
Lucille F., 1948 : 506).
MUSKRAT
Ondatra zibethicus macrodon (Merriam)
Fiber macrodon Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 11 : 143,
13 May 1897.
336-897 O — 69 8
110
NORTH AMERICAN; FAUNA 66
Type locality. — Lake Druminond, Dismal Swamp, Norfolk County, Va.
General distribution. — Reported from Chester County, Pennsylvania, south in
the Coastal Plain and Piedmont to the lower Cape Fear drainage of southeastern
North Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — Eastern Shore, Western Shore, and
Piedmont sections.
Muskrats are especially abundant in the fresh- water and brackish
marshes of the Eastern Shore section. The subspecies incurr'odon inter-
grades with 0. z. zihethlcus in- the Piedmont section and is probably-
replaced by that subspecies in the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny
Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16;
tail long and laterally compressed; hind feet partially webbed; ears
small and almost hidden in fur; pelage dense, underfur soft and thick,
overlaid with long smooth guard hairs; usual coloration a rich brown,
with considerable bright russet to red tinge, darker on head, ncse,
and back; Sides grayish brown to russet; underparts considerably
lighter, varying from grayish drab to bright cinnamon rufous.
There is a black color phase of this subspecies which in some Mary-
land marshes runs as high as 65 percent of the population (Dozier,
19486, p. 393). These animals are not unifoi-mly black, but have a
modified agouti pattern shown in the lighter ventral surfaces and on
the lower side areas where the hairs are subapically banded with
Ondatra zibethicrus
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 40. — Distribution of Ondatra zibcthicus.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND lll\
yellow. The dorsum, however, is a uniform glossy black with no hairs
banded with red and yellow. Rarely an albinistic individual is encoun-
tered, and Dozier (19486, p. 394) has reported upon a nonalbino white
mutation ("Maryland white") occurring in some of the marshes in
Dorchester County, and fawn colored mutants from the vicinity of
Chestertown, Kent County.
The muskrat is readily distinguished from other Maryland rodents
by the combination of its aquatic habits, large size, and laterally com-
pressed tail. The beaver, which the muskrat resembles in aquatic
habits, is larger and has a broad, horizontally compressed tail.
Measurements. — External measurements of an old male and two
young adult females from Laurel, Prince Georges County, are as fol-
lows: Total length 675, 600, 570; tail 280, 275, 266; hind foot 87, 86,
79. Cranial measurements of 11 adults from Laurel are: Condylobasal
length 67.6 (63.9-72.2) ; zygomatic breadth 41.8 (39.8-44.5) ; least
interorbital breadth 5.9 (5.0-6.6) ; length of maxillary toothrow 16.1
(14.9-17.2).
Dozier et al. (1948, p. 180) found that the average weight of 13,421
male muskrats trapped on the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge,
Dorchester County, was 2 pounds 4 ounces, and the average weight of
10,090 females was 2 pounds 2 ounces. Adult males varied in weight
from 6 ounces to 4 pounds, and females from 6 ounces to 3 pounds 12
ounces.
Habitat and habits. — Muskrats are most abundant in the extensive
marshes that line the Chesapeake Bay. Elsewhere in Maryland they
are found in streams that wind through pastures, and in swamps.
The muskrat is essentially vegetarian, but occasionally will make
use of animal food such as fish, mussels, insects, crayfish, and snails.
Martin et al. (1951, p. 236) report that at the Patuxent Research Cen-
ter near Laurel, the most important plant material eaten is burreed,
cutgrass, arrowhead, waterlily and panicgrass. Smith (1938, p. 12)
found that muskrats in Dorchester County would eat, to some extent,
almost any plant found in the marshes there. Certain fa verities, how-
ever, form their staple diet, and no area lacking these will support a
large muskrat population. Three square sedge and broadleaf and nar-
rowleaf cattails constitute four-fifths of the animal's diet, and all parts
of these plants are eaten at one time or another during the year. Other
foods that are at times utilized by the muskrat in the Dorchester
marshes are saltmarsh, wild reed, saltgrass, beak-rush, spikerush, big
cordgrass, wild millet, and sweet sedge. Also occasionally eaten are
saltmarsh fleabane, marshmallow, waterlily, dodder, iris, waxmyrtle,
small pine trees, and poison-ivy. Smith found that Dorchester County
muskrats sometimes consumed turtles, blue crabs, fish (chiefly sluggish
kinds such as carp) , salt-water mussels, and possibly dead birds.
112 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
In the Maryland marshes, muskrats are active at all hours, in the
spring and throughout the summer.
Muskrat homes are of two general types depending on the topog-
raphy of the area in which they live. In the uplands they dig burrows
into the banks of streams and other bodies of water, while in the
marshes they build dome-shaped structures. The entrance hole to a
bank burrow is always below the normal level of water. The burrow
turns upward above water level and ends in a nest of grass. The dome-
shaped structures that they build in the marshes may be as much as 7 or
8 feet in diameter and more than 4 feet high. They are constructed of
stalks, roots, and peaty remains of plants and are built on or around a
firm foundation such as a stump or the base of a tree. Each house con-
tains one or more nests from which passages lead to plunge holes in the
floor. These holes in turn lead to underground tunnels that connect
with the surface several feet from the house.
Muskrats are primarily aquatic and construct elaborate canals, 6
inches to a foot wide, and sometimes a foot or more deep, which are not
visible when the water is high. Those canals which are used as main
arteries of travel are always wider and deeper than those used only
as temporary leads made in search of food. In dry areas the muskrats
use surface trails concealed in the grass that lead in all directions, and
except for size, resemble those made by the meadow mouse.
In addition to surface canals and trails, muskrats construct elaborate
systems of underground burrows and tunnels that spread out in all
directions and are connected with the surface and the canals by plunge
holes scattered at convenient intervals.
Smith (1938, p. 16) found that in Maryland the muskrat may breed
in any month with the possible exception of November and December.
Most of the young are bom from mid- April to mid-September. Most
Maryland trappers report that there are three litters a year, but Smith
(1938, p. 16) was only able to obtain two a year in pen-raised animals.
The number of young is variable ; in the Maryland investigations con-
ducted by Smith, the number averaged 4.4, seven being the most found
in any one uterus. The gestation period appears to be about 29 or 30
days, and muskrats probably first breed at the age of 1 year.
The population of muskrats in Maryland marshes apparently has
been decreasing since 1939. The number of muskrats trapped in the
marshes from year to year may not reflect the actual muskrat popula-
tion since many factors such as food, predation, salinity, and breeding,
which are not readily observable, together with the value of pelts, act
together to affect muskrat abundance, and may be different from year
to year. Furthermore, these factors may cause different reactions on the
part of the muskrat populations at different levels of abundance.
Nevertheless, trapping records probably give an adequate index of the
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 113
larger fluctuations in population level in Maryland. With this in mind,
Harris (1952, p. 13) lists the muskrat catch on approximately 600 acres
of marsh on the Nanticoke River, Dorchester County. In 193Y, the
total catch of muskrat on this marsh was 2,417 animals (4.0 animals
per acre). By 1950 the catch on this same marsh had dropped to 150
animals, or 0.2 animals per acre. On a Statewide level, the total catch
of muskrat was estimated at 2 million in 1938. In 1949, when Maryland
first began to keep accurate records of the muskrat catch, only 228,548
animals were reported trapped throughout the State. By 1957 this
figure had dropped to a low of 112,348 muskrats. The 1967-68 catch was
reported as 139,000.
These figures show that the muskrat population has been experi-
encing a decline over the past 25 years, and since the muskrat is an
economically important animal, there has been considerable specula-
tion and research devoted to the reason, or reasons, for this decline.
Hardy (1950, pp. 8-9, 27) records the opinions of the trappers them-
selves regarding this decline, which includes such ideas as there being
a definite ecological relationship between muskrats and domestic hogs.
These trappers stated that with the fencing in of property in Dor-
chester County the hogs were no longer able to root in the marshes
and, hence, the ecological relationship of the two species was destroyed
and the muskrat population declined. Another theory maintained by
some of the trappers is that owing to various causes there has been a
great increase in the number of eels in Dorchester County waters and
that eels enter the muskrat houses and consume young. Other ideas are
that the muskrat decline is due to increased predation by raccoons
and foxes ; a "dreadful disease" ; floristic changes ; "trapping under"
(placing the tra,p in underground leads) ; and high water. Hardy
(1950, p. 27) notes that some of these factors may have been operative,
but that it can safely be assumed that the diminishing population of
the muskrat in Dorchester County has been brought about by a com-
bination of ecological and environmental changes rather than by any
single factor. Harris (1952, p. 36) points out that his study on Dor-
chester County muskrats did not answer the question why there has
been a decline in their numbers, but it did show that the combination
of predation and a reduced capacity of the marsh to support muskrats
may prevent a rapid increase in the muskrat population.
Specimens exaTnined. — Anne Arundel County: Broadwater, 1. Dor-
chester County: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 8. Frederick
County: Jefferson, 1. Montgomery County: Forest Glen, 1; Kensing-
ton, 1 ; Sligo Branch, 1. Prince Georges County : Beaverdam Creek, 1 ;
Beltsville, 1; Branch ville, 3; Lanham, 2; Laurel, 147. District of
Colwmbia: 6.
114 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Other records aTid reports (from Dozier, 19486, unless otherwise
noted). — BaltiTnore County: Bare Hills-Lake Roland area (Bures,
1948, p. 68) ; Loch Raven (Kirkwood, 1931, p. 317) ; Patapsco State
Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 7). Dorchester County: Best Pitch Ferry;
Elliotts Island; Fishing Bay; Joe's Point; Robbins, near; Taylors
Island; World End Creek, near Golden Hill. Gai^rett County: Piney
Run, near Piney Dam (trapping record, Maryland Nat, Res. Inst.) ;
Pawn Run, as it enters Deep Creek (trapping record, Maryland Nat.
Res. Inst.) . Kent County: above and below Chestertown, on the Chester
River; Chestertown (specimens in Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. collection) ;
Fairlee Creek near its Chesapeake Bay Mouth. Montgomery County:
Mainland across from Plummers Island (Goldman and Jackson, 1939,
p. 133). Prince Georges County : Patuxent Research Refuge (Uhler &
Llewellyn, 1952, p. 81). Queen Annes County: Booker's Wharf.
Remarks. — I have not been able to examine specimens from the Ridge
and Valley and the Allegheny Mountain sections, but one specimen I
examined from Jefferson, Frederick County, just to the east of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, is clearly an intergrade with Ondatras, zihethi-
cu^ in size and coloration, and almost near enough to typical zibethicus
to be assigned to that subspecies. On the basis of this specimen, and
because of the known distribution oi O. z. zihethicus in Virginia and
Pennsylvania, the muskrats of the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny
Mountain sections probably are referable to the subs,pecies zibethicus.
This subspecies appears to intergrade with the Coastal Plain sub-
species macrodon throughout most of the upper Piedmont section.
Published reports of this species in western Maryland are by Brown-
ing (1928, p. 213) who saw muskrats around 1825 in the vicinity of
Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, and by Mansueti, (1958, p. 83),
who observed them in Cranesville Swamp, Garret County, in the
1950's. The species is present in suitable streams and ponds through-
out the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny Mountain sections at the
present time, and according to Flyger (in verbis, 22 June 1964) trap-
pers report that they are not uncommon.
Ondatra z. zibethicus differs from O. z. macrodon in its darker
pelage (in normal color phase), and in its smaller size. It is of in-
terest to note that Merriam in his original description of macrodon
(specimens from Dismal Swamp, Virginia) considered the subspecies
to be a much darker form than zihethicus. Merriam's specimens, how-
ever, were mostly dark phase animals, and as Hollister (1911, p. 18)
has shown, macrodon (in normal color phase) is actually a lighter
and brighter colored subspecies than zibethicus.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
115
SOUTHERN BOG LEMMING
Synaptomys cooperi stonei Rhoads
Synaptomys stonei Rhoads, Amer. Nat., 27 : 53, January 1893.
Type locality. — ^May's Landing, Atlantic County, N.J.
General distribution. — ^Southern Appalachians of eastern Kentucky and Ten-
nessee, western North Carolina and Virginia and western Maryland to the
Atlantic Coastal Plain of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, and northward
to Connecticut and coastal Massachusetts.
Distribution in Maryland. — Statewide in distribution. The most
southeasterly record for the subspecies stonei is in Worcester County
(Poole, 1943, p. 103).
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16; size
medium; tail short; fur rather long and shaggy; head broad; ears
short, rising slightly above the fur; upper incisor teeth grooved. Color-
ation of upper parts brown to chestnut, grizzled in appearance;
underparts silvery, with no sharp line of demarcation on the sides;
tail grayish black, not sharply bicolored; feet brownish black.
This is the only short-tailed mouse in Maryland which has grooved
upper incisors, and may thus be distinguished from all others. Crani-
ally, the southern bog lemming has a shorter rostrum than any other
ISIaryland mouse.
79- 78'
1 1
77 •
^,*'
7I,
§
'^W^
m
w^^
^^
-39*-
SCA LC
O lO 20 30MILES
{
CyV/PmTXy
m
-39°-
Synaptomys aooperi stonei
• Specimens examined
^^^^^
-36*-
O Specimens reported
^^
%i
1 1
79» 78'
77*
1
76*
BOM.
FiGUBB 41. — Distribution of Synaptomys cooperi stonei.
116 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
Measurements. — External measurements of five adults, and cranial
measurements of six adults from Laurel, Prince Georges County, are
as follows : Total length 127.4 (120-135) ; tail 21.2 (18-23) ; hind foot
19 (18-20); greatest length of skull 24.7 (24.3-24.9); zygomatic
breadth 17.0 (16.5-17.5) ; interorbital constriction 2.9 (2.7-3.1) ; length
of maxillary toothrow 7.5 (7.4—7.8).
Habitat and habits. — This species has a preference for sphagnum
bogs, and this is where most Maryland specimens have been collected.
It is sometimes found, however, in woodland habitats, including
beach-maple, oak-hickory, and pine. Specimens have even been taken
in grassy areas, orchards, weedy fields, and marshes, and in shocked
corn.
According to Conner (1959, p. 171) the chief requirement of Synap-
tomys seems to be the presence of green succulent monocotyledonous
plants, primarily sedges and grasses, which are its main source of
food.
This species may breed throughout the year, although Conner (p.
203) found that in southern New Jersey there was a spring peak in
the breeding cycle, with some breeding continuing through summer
and autumn. Poole (1943, p. 103) found a lactating female in Wor-
cester County, Md., in late November. Conner (p. 202) found that
litters of from two to five were usual for the species, although a
single embryo is not uncommon, and as many as seven young have
been reported. His data suggest that in the spring and summer females
produce a litter every 67 days.
Wherever the southern bog lemming occurs, it is found in com-
pany with other small mammals such as red-backed mice, deer mice,
shrews, and moles, and it often occupies the same burrows as these
others. The nests are constructed of shredded grasses and sedges
and are often concealed some distance beneath the ground. Less often,
they are placed directly on the ground where there is sufficient ground
cover. Conner (p. 227) found that most of the nests in southern New
Jersey were located just under the surface, concealed in either hemlock
or moss or in other elevated mounds in the bogs. Most of the nests
were balls of dry shredded leaves of sedge, and had two entrances.
The diameters ranged from 3i/^ to 6 inches, and the hollow spaces
within the nests ai^eraged about 2i/^ inches.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Oldtown, 9 miles E, 1.
Prince Georges Coimty : Beltsville, 1 ; Beltsville, 21^ miles W
(sphagnum bog), 5; Hyattsville, 8. District of Columhia: 1.
Other records and reports. — Montgomery County: Sandy Springs
[skull removed from stomach of red-tailed hawk] (Bailey, 1923, p.
118) . Worcester County: Snow Hill, 6 miles SW (Poole, 1943, p. 103) .
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 117
Remarks. — The specimen from 9 miles E of Oldtown, Allegany
County, is somewhat smaller in size and less grizzled in coloration
than those from farther east in the State. This animal may represent
an intergrade in these characters with S. c. cooperi., the subspecies dis-
tributed to the north of stonei, or may actually be referable to that
form. As Wetzel (1955, p. 12) has pointed out, however, the ranges
of all measurements in these two subspecies overlap, and the variation
in coloration within only one sample of cooperi for one season is
much greater than between the various subspecies of S. cooperi. This
illustrates the difficulty in assigning individual specimens to sub-
species. Because of this, the specimen from Allegany County is pro-
visionally assigned to S. c. stonei, the range of which is herein
considered to encompass the entire State. When more specimens from
the Piedmont and the Ridge and Valley sections become available for
study, however, it may be found that S. c. cooperi is distributed in
those sections, and that the specimen from Allegany County should
properly be assigned to that race.
Family CAPROMYIDAE (hutias and coypus)
NUTRIA
Myocastor coypus (Molina)
Mus coypus Molina, Sagg. Stor. Natur. Chili, p. 287, 1782.
Type locality. — Rivers of Chile.
General distribution. — Ranges widely over southern SoutJi America ; intro-
duced into the United States in the 1930's, and now is established in the wild
in at least 16 states.
Distribution in Maryland. — A few nutria are established in the
Dorchester County marshes.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3, = 20; size
large (sometimes attaining a weight of 21 lbs.); pelage consisting of
2 types of hair, dense underfur, and long glossy overlying guard hairs;
coloration rich brown or chestnut on dorsum, paler underneath; tail
long and cylindrical; middle toes of hind feet connected by a basal web.
This species superficially resembles the muskrat, from which it may
be readily distinguished by its larger size, cylindrical as opposed to
laterally compressed tail, and greater number of teeth.
Measurements. — An adult male and female from the Blackwater
National Wildlife Refuge, Dorchester County, measure externally as
follows : Body length 571, 518 ; tail 413, ; hind foot 156, 137. Dozier
(in correspondence) reports that the heaviest animal he examined at
the Fur Animal Experiment Station in Cambridge, Md., weighed 21
pounds.
118 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
No skulls of this species are available from Maryland for measure-
ment.
Habitat and. habits. — The habitat of the nutria in its South Ameri-
can home is in marshes, swamps, and along the margins of rivers and
lakes in fresh-water plant associations. Bednarik (1958, p. 2) says,
however, that Randall Rhodes, Curator of Collections at the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History, has told him (in personal communication
1954) that in South America he observed that nutria were mostly as-
sociated with marine waters. The temperature of the water seems to be
of little importance to them, and in the United States they are now
found as far north as Michigan and Washington State, where they
prosper in the same type of habitat as the muskrat.
The nutria is a vegeitarian, consuming a variety of aquatic plants,
rushes, reeds, grasses, seeds, cattails, and sedges. In captivity it shows
a marked preference for alfalfa and clover and is fond of practically
all root crops except Irish potatoes. Because of its voracious appetite
it has posed a serious threat to waterfowl marshes in some areas where
it has been introduced.
Nutria li^ang in streams or ponds which have steep banks burrow
into them close to the water level. Each pair makes its own burrow,
which is dug in and upward until well above the water level. The den is
lined with grasses, and as the family grows, the burrow is enlarged.
If the nutria are living in a marsh which does not have steep banks,
floating nests of aquatic vegetation are built, which resemble those
made by the muskrat. Where conditions permit, part of a colony may
live in floating nests in the marsh, while other animals will build bank
burrows.
The gestation period of this species in Maryland is between 130 and
134 days (Dozier, unpublished data, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
The young seem to be bom during all seasons, and there are probably
two or three litters a year per female. In Louisiana, litter size averages
4.4 young (Harris, 1956).
Nutria apparently became established in the Dorchester County
marshes of Maryland sometime in the early 1940's. There are no rec-
ords of their occurrence there earlier, and Herbert L. Dozier, formerly
Director of the U.S. Fur Animal Field Station at the Blackwater
National Wildlife Refuge, does not mention their presence in the Mary-
land marshes in his extensive nutria correspondence in the files of the
Fish land Wildlife Service dating back to the period 13 March 1939, to
3 June 1941. It is possible that Maryland's nutria population may have
originated as escapees from the U.S. Fur Animal Field Station, al-
though there is no certain proof of this. In the late 1930's and early
1940's Dozier was conducting experiments at the Blackwater Refuge
on the feeding, care, and breeding of captive nutria. In one of his le(t-
MAMMALS OF MARYLANB 119
ters dated 18 November 1940, now in the files of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, he says :
We have recently completed two new large 100 sq. ft. inclosures in marsh and
pond edge and have released a pair of nutria in each to study their reactions to
various types of local habitat, etc.
There is no record of what became of the inclosures or animals, and
Dozier never published, to my knowledge, the results of his study.
Maryland kept no accurate records of its annual fur catch until 1949.
Prior to that, only rough estimates were made each year as to the num-
ber of animals trapped in the State, and no mention was ever made of
nutriia. In 1949, when trappers were first required to report their
catches, four nutria were among the animals taken. No further nutria
were reported until 1956, when two were trapped in the Dorchester
marshes. The following year the catch was 45 and in 1958 the number
had risen to 52. Since then the number reported has declined. Thirty-
four were reported for 1959, none for 1960, and five in 1961. It appears
that nutria in the Maryland marshes are only precariously established.
SpecimeMs examined. — Dorchester County: Black water National
Wildlife Kefuge, 8.
Family MURIDAE (Old World rats and mice)
BLACK RAT
Rattus rattus (Linnaeus)
[Mus] rattus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 61, 1758.
Type locality. — Uppsala, Sweden.
General distribution. — This is an introduced species. In the United States, it is
well established and abundant in the south Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. In the
northeastern United States it is found in buildings along the docks of some sea-
ports, and at several isolated inland localities.
Distribution in Maryland. — May occur at present in some buildings
along the docks in Baltimore City.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16; size
medium; general build slender; muzzle sharp; ears large, almost
naked, reaching or covering the eyes when laid forward; tail slender
and long, at least as long as the combined length of the head and
body, and sometimes longer; pelage soft, but covered with coarse
guard hairs, giving it a harsh appearance.
There are three color phases of this species. Some authorities have
considered these as distinct subspecies because of their general associa-
tion with distinct geographic areas. One of these color phases, known
as R. r. frugivorous., has a yellowish or reddish brown dorsum, with a
white or yellowish abdomen, and is most conunonly encountered in the
Mediterranean area. Another color variation, R. r. alewandrinus^ has a
120 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
brownish dorsum, similar to that of frugivorous^ but with a gray
venter, and is most abundant in the Middle East and North Africa.
The third color phase, known as R. r. rattus^ has a black dorsum, with
a dark gray venter, as in alexandrinus^ and is mostly associated with
the cold temperate countries of northern Europe. In general, R. r.
frugivorous is a wild-living animal, whereas alexandrmus and rattus
are nearly always associated with man and his habitations. None of
these varieties, however, is exclusively limited to any of the geographic
or habitational areas mentioned above, and all three forms may occur
at any one locality or in any one habitat. Because of this it seems
advisable at present to consider them as color phases rather than as
distinct subspecies (Caslick, 1956, pp. 255-257) . All of the color phases
may be encountered in the United States.
Rattus rattus is most easily confused with the Norway rat {Rattus
norvegicus) . It may be distinguished from that species by its smaller
size, more slender build, more elongated nose, larger longer ears, and
much longer and more slender tail (as long as, or longer than, the
combined length of the head and body). Cranially, the two species
differ in that the braincase of R. rattus is shortened and rounded,
whereas that of R. norvegicus is narrow and elongated, the well-devel-
oped temporal ridges extending parallel to each other for a consid-
erable distance on each side of the cranium.
Measuremsnts. — Two adults from Washington, D.C. (taken on a
river boat at the Seventh Street Wharf on 23 April 1923) measure
as follows : Total length 405, 423 ; tail 218, 238 ; hind foot 37, 39 ; great-
est length of skull 43.6, 43.2 ; zygomatic breadth 20.8, 20.9 ; interorbital
constriction 6.4, 6.7; length of maxillary toothrow 7.0, 6.9.
Habitat and habits. — This rat is essentially an arboreal animal and
seldom inhabits burrows. Where it infests buildings and houses, it is
found usually in the walls, ceilings, or roof, but seldom in basements or
in sewers. It shuns water and seldom enters it voluntarily. This is, how-
ever, the common rat on ships, to which it gains access by climbing
the moorings. It is occasionally introduced with shipments of grain or
fruit.
In diet, the black rat is omnivorous, consuming a wide variety of
grains, fruits, vegetables, and animal matter.
The species is polyestrous all the year round. The duration of ges-
tation is about 21 days, and the average litter size is seven to nine.
Black rats enter into close relations with man wherever they occur,
and for this reason they are often involved in the transmission of dis-
eases, principally the bubonic plague.
Specimens examined. — District of Columbia: Five (three taken
on river boat at Seventh Street Wharf, and two taken in the Central
Market in a box of fruit from Egypt in February 1912) .
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 121
Remarks. — It is generally believed that the black rat was the com-
mon rat of the eastern United States before the late 18th century.
Around that time, it is said, the Norway rat was introduced, and be-
cause it is a larger and more aggressive animal it drove the black rat
out except near shipping ports (see Bailey, 1923, p. 114). There is
however, no real evidence that the black rat was ever well established
in Maryland or in any other Northeastern State. This animal prefers
a warm climate and probably found Maryland too cold for its liking.
Moreover, it is known that in areas in the South the black rat and the
Norway rat live in the same habitations without one species driving
away the other. In areas where the two species live together, however,
there seems to be an ecological separation in that the black rat usually
is found in the upper stories of a building, while the Norway rat in-
habits the basement and adjacent sewers and tunnels.
At the present time there are no known colonies of this species in
Maryland, although perhaps a few animals inhabit some of the build-
ing along the docks in Baltimore City. In 1949 Davis and Fales (1949,
p. 248) reported them present in only three Baltimore buildings and
estimated the population as not more than 1,000. This rat, however, is
the common ship variety and probably has been, and will continue to
be, repeatedly introduced into the Baltimore wharf district.
As far as is known, none are established now in Washington, D.C.,
although here again they may leave boats and take up residence in
nearby buildings. Five specimens have been taken in the District of
Columbia. Three of these were removed from a boat that had docked
at the Seventh Street Wharf in April 1923, and two were trapped in
January and February of 1912 at the old Central Market, to which
they apparently had been brought in baskets of fruit from Egypt.
NORWAY RAT
Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout)
Mus norvegicus Berkenhout, Outlines of the natural history of Great
Britain and Ireland, 1 : 5, 1769.
Type locality. — England.
General Distribution. — This is an introduced form that has become widely
established throughout North America.
Distribution in Maryland. — Statewide.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Similar to R. rattus, but differs in
being larger, heavier, and shorter tailed. In coloration it is grayish
or reddish brown on the back, heavily lined with black hairs along the
middorsal line. The belly is silvery gray, but in some specimens it may
be washed with a dingy yellowish - brown. Cranial differences between
this species and Rattus rattus are described under the latter species.
122 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
Young Norway rats superficially resemble the native American rice
rats {OryzoTnys pahistris). They may always be distinguished from
this species, and from other cricetines, by the upper molar teeth,
which in the genus Rattus ( and in the other introduced Murid genus
Mus) are provided with small rounded cusps (tubercles) arranged in
three longitudinal rows in contrast to two rows of longitudinal cusps
in most cricetines.
Measurements. — An adult from the District of Columbia measures
as follows: Total length 470; tail 208; hind foot 43; ear 21; greatest
length of skull 52.6; zygomatic breadth 27.6; interorbital breadth
7.4 ; length of maxillary toothrow 7.3.
Habitat and habits. — This is essentially a water-loving and burrow-
ing animal. In the spring of 1963, large numbers of them were inhabit-
ing burrows in the banks bordering the Loch Raven Reservoir north
of Baltimore. They would emerge from the burrows in broad daylight,
dive into the reservoir, and swim considerable distances to obtain
scraps of bread thrown into the water by visitors who were feeding
the numerous carp which swim in the area near the dam. In Wash-
ington, D.C., the population of Norway rats has recently risen to
alarming proportions. Their burrows may be seen around many of the
downtown government buildings and monuments, and at dusk they
come into the open and actively forage for food among the refuse
and rubble left by tourists during the day.
The city of Baltimore has always had a Norway rat problem, but
these animals are not as numerous as was thought at one time. In a
careful study of Baltimore's rat population in 1949, Davis and Fales
(1950, p. 146) estimated there were approximately 43,000 animals,
with a range of from 26,000 to 68,000, of which about 15,000 were in
commercial areas. They had estimated that the population in 1947
was 165,000, so that there was a considerable decline in the period
1947 to 1949. With improved sanitation and methods of extermina-
tion developed during the intervening years it may be assumed that
the rat population of the city at present is no higher, and probably
lower, than in 1949. Nevertheless, rats are still a serious economic and
public health problem in Washington and Baltimore.
The Norway rat is known to occur throughout the State both in
commercial buildings and habitations, and in some places in the wild,
particularly in the summer.
The species is extremely adaptable, and about the only factor essen-
tial for its success is the presence of water ; it drinks freely, and is a
good swimmer and diver. It will eat virtually anything, and finds
sewers particularly attractive places to live because of the abundant
water supply and the offal usually found therein upon which it can
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 123
feed. From the sewers it will readily pass into buildings where it may
cause considerable damage.
The species is an efficient burrower, and out-of-doors its bank bur-
rows consist of winding galleries furnished with several escape holes.
On farms, it frequently makes burrows in manure piles, rubbish
mounds, wheat stacks, and hay ricks. Many Norway rats spend the
summer months in fields and meadows, and at the approach of cold
weather migrate into towns and villages where they seek the warmth
of commercial buildings and other habitations.
The gestation period in the Norway rat is 21 days. Studies in
England (Hinton, 1931, p. 13) indicate that the average number of
young per litter is eight or nine, but that there are records of as many
as 23. Usually the number ranges between 6 and 19, and the females
may produce five or six litters annually.
It is generally believed that the Norway rat and the black rat are
incompatible, and that the larger, more aggressive Norway rat will
drive out or kill the smaller, weaker black species wherever they are
occupying the same area. There is no proof of this, however, and there
are even cases known where the two species have lived together in
the confines of a small ship (Jolin Jones, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, in verbis) . The fact that they only infrequently occur together
is probably the result of their preference for different climatic situa-
tions. The Norway rat is essentially a northern, cool climate animal
and prospers in the temperate regions of northern Europe and North
America. The black rat originated in warm, semitropical areas and
find its optimum conditions in the warm Mediterranean regions and
in the southern portions of the United States. It seems probable that
the black rat, although repeatedly introduced, has never been firmly
established in the northeastern United States and that the Norway
rat has been the common house rat in Maryland since early colonial
times.
Speciments examined. — Anne Arundel Oounty: Fort Meade, 1. Bal-
tvmore City: 1. Calvert County: Solomons Island, 1. Montgomery
County: Silver Spring, 1 mile N, 3. District of Columbia: 77.
HOUSE MOUSE
Mus musculus Linnaeus
Mv^ musculus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, Vol. 1, p. 62, 1758.
Type looality. — Uppsala, Sweden.
General distribution. — This is an old world species that has been introduced
into the United States and is now found in a commensal and feral state through-
out the country.
124 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs abundantly as a commensal or
as a feral animal in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — This small mouse is well known
and needs no extensive description. The upper molar teeth of the house
mouse are essentially like those in Rattus rattus and R, norvegimis.,
that is, with three rows of longitudinally arranged cusps. This distin-
guishes the species from all other Maryland mice of small size.
Externally, the house mouse superficially resembles American mice
of the genera Peromyscus and Reithrodontomys. It differs from Mary-
land Peromyscus externally in its smaller size and in coloration. In
adult pelage, Peromyscus is generally a brownish gray in coloration
on the dorsum, with a white venter, the line of demarcation between
the two being sharply marked. The tail also is distinctly bicolored,
darker above, pale below. In the house mouse, the coloration is more
grayish and the abdomen is generally paler than the dorsum, but there
is no sharp line of demarcation between the two, the abdomen seldom
being pure white as in Peromyscus. In addition, the tail of the house
mouse is not distinctly bicolored.
The dorsum of the juvenile Peromyscus is colored a uniform slaty
gray, which is totally unlike the grizzled gray of the house mouse, and
the venter is a snowy white as in adults, with a sharp line of demarca-
tion between the two.
Externally, the house mouse is very smiliar in appearance to the
harvest mouse {Reithrodontomys hwmulis) . The most certain way of
separating the two species is through an examination of the upper
incisor teeth. In Reithrodontomys there is a longitudinal groove which
runs the length of each incisor, while in the house mouse these teeth
are smooth. In addition, the biting edges of the upper incisor teeth of
the house mouse usually are notched, and the tips of the lower incisors
fit into the notches when the jaws are closed.
Measurements. — Seven adults from the vicinity of Ocean City,
Worcester County, have the following external measurements : Total
length 149.3 (140-167) ; tail vertebrae 73 (58-88) ; hind foot 17.4
(16-18). Cranial measurements of five adults from the vicinity of
Ocean City are: Greatest length 20.9 (19.8-21.8) ; zygomatic breadth
11.0 (10.6-11.5) ; interorbital breadth 3.4 (3.3-3.6) ; length of maxil-
lary toothrow 3.2 (3.1-3.4).
Habitat and habits. — This is a very plastic animal, and it has
adapted itself to a wide variety of habitats. Like the black rat and
the Norway rat, it is most often encountered in or near human habita-
tions, but is also found in the wild throughout Maryland.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAMD 125
This species probably is of Asiatic origin. It is efficient at climbing,
jumping, and swimming; and it will eat and thrive on practically any
food that man consumes. Its nest is made of soft materials and is
placed in any convenient location, such as in walls, under floors and
steps, in bookcases or furniture, and, in the wild, under logs or stones
and other convenient recesses.
The house mouse is very prolific. It attains sexual maturity at the
age of 3 months and the breeding season is of long duration. The
gestation period is from 19 to 21 days, and the number of young per
litter is usually five or six. The young are born blind and naked, but
they mature rapidly and are able to leave the mother in about 3 weeks.
When these mice inhabit houses in large numbers, they do consider-
able damage by eating large quantities of food, or tainting it with
their droppings. They will consume linen clothing of all types, gnaw
on books, and chew holes in the woodwork. In shops, warehouses, grain-
eries, and on farms, they are usually abundant and destructive.
In Maryland, the house mouse is found everywhere, even on marshes
and dunes of the Atlantic outer barrier beaches.
Specimens exaTnined. — Allegany County: Green Ridge, 1; Mount
Savage, 7. Anne Arundel County: Annapolis, 3 miles NW, 1. Calvert
County : Drum Point, 1 ; Plum Point, 2 ; Plum Point, 2 miles W, 6 ;
Scientists Cliffs, 2; Solomons Island, % mile N, 11. Charles Coumty:
Nanjemoy Creek, 1 ; Port Tobacco, 4. Howard Cownty: Long Comer,
2. Montgomery County : Cabin John Bridge, 2 ; Chevy Chase, 3 ; Forest
Glen, 5 ; Gaithersburg, 5 miles NE, 1 ; Kensington, 7 ; Seneca Creek,
1 ; Silver Spring, 1 mile N, 2. Prince Georges County : Beltsville, near,
1 ; College Park, 1 ; Lanham, 1 ; Laurel, 5 ; Mitchellville, 1 mile W, 9 ;
Oxon Hill, 6; River View, 1; sphagnum bog, near District line, 1.
Queen Annes County: Parson Island, 1. Washington County: Fort
Frederick State Park, 2. Worcester Cownty: Ocean City, 3; Ocean
City, 5 miles S, on Assateague Island, 3 ; West Ocean City, 4. DistHct
of Columbia: 83.
Remarks. — Schwarz and Schwarz (1943, pp. 59-72) reviewed the
species and suggest that all house mice in the United States are re-
ferable to two commensal subspecies M. m. hrevirostris and M. m.
domesticus^i the latter being the one that supposedly occurs in Mary-
land. In all probability, however, house mice have been introduced
into Maryland from many different areas and at many different times.
The range of variation in size, tail length, and coloration in Maryland
specimens is so great that I am unable to assign them a subspecific
name.
336-897 O— 69 9
126 NORTH AMERICAN. FAUNA 66
Family ZAPODIDAE (jumping mice)
MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE
Zapus hudsonius americanus (Barton)
Difus americanus Barton, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc, 4: 115, 1799.
Type locality. — Schuylkill River, a few miles from Philadelphia, Pa.
General distribution. — Southeastern Uuited States, east of central Indiana,
and south of central New York, southward into northern Georgia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 1/0, 3/3, = 18; upper
incisors grooved; tail very long, blackish above, white below (not
white tipped) ; hind legs greatly elongated ; pelage short and coarse ;
coloration yellowish orange, suffused with blackish, the blackish
particularly concentrated in the middorsal area and generally forming
a rather broad band from nose to tail; coloration of underparts white,
sometimes suffused with yellowish orange.
This mouse is readily distinguished from all other Maryland mice,
except the woodland jumping mouse {Nafoeozajms insignis), by its
very long tail and powerful elongated hind legs. It is distinguishable
from Napaeozapus by the presence of a premolar in the upper jaw, the
absence of a white tail tip, and the more yellowish coloration (as
opposed to orange in Napaeozapus) on the flanks.
Measurements. — Measurements of three adults from the vicinity of
Seneca, Montgomery County, are as follows: Total length 195, 194,
194; tail 120, 110, 110; hind foot 26, 28, 28; ear 11, 10, 10; greatest
length of skull 21.6, 22.0, 22.7 ; zygomatic breadth 10.5, 10.9, 10.6 ; in-
terorbital breadth 4.2, 3.9, 4.0 ; length of maxillary toothrow 3.6, 3.7,
3.5.
Habitat and habits. — ^Krutzsch (1954, pp. 349-472) revised this
genus, and gathered together its natural history data. Most of the
following is based on his account.
The meadow jumping mouse inhabits thick vegetation, usually
grasses or forbs, or both, in areas near running water. It is found both
in woodland and farmland, but is most abundant in open moist areas.
In Maryland, the species occurs throughout the State in suitable
habitat, although nowhere does it seem particularly abundant, except
perhaps on Assateague Island, where it is common in the mixed cord-
grass and myrtle back of the ocean dunes.
The species is cyclical in abundance, being more numerous in some
years than in others. It is ordinarily a nocturnal animal, appearing
in the early dusk and remaining active until predawn. Occasionally,
individuals will be active during daylight hours. Meadow jumping
mice hibernate in the winter. It appears that it is necessary for this
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
127
Zapus hudsonius americanus
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
FiGUBB 42. — Distribution of Zapns hudsonius americanus.
mouse to accumulate a certain amount of fat before it is capable of
hibernation (Hamilton 1935, p. 193), and thus those taken in autumn
are usually fat.
Almost invariably, meadow jumping mice hibernate in burrows in
which nests are constructed of grass, leaves, or other vegetation.
Grizzel (1949, pp. T'^TS) found two of these animals hibernating in
woodchuck dens at the Patuxent Research Center in January 1948.
One animal was found 4 feet from the entrance to the burrow and
about 40 inches below the surface of the ground. The second was
found in another burrow 5 feet from the entrance and 26 inches below
the surface. Both animals were curled up in the center of large leaf
nests and well insulated from the cold.
In the vicinity of Washington, D.C., these mice remain active well
into November, and emerge from hibernation in early April. In the
Allegheny Mountain section, and the Ridge and Valley section, the
hibernation period is more prolonged. Occasionally, during mild spells
in midwinter they merge from their burrows and become active.
Barbehenn tells me that he collected one jumping mouse in an old
orchard with honeysuckle and poison-ivy ground cover near Rock-
ville, Montgomery County, on 11 February 1960, in very mild weather.
During their active part of the year, meadow jumping mice wander
freely and seldom make well-defined trails or runways. They con-
128 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
struct nests of grass and leaves under logs or occasionally in a clump
of shrubs a few inches above the ground.
Krutzsch (1954, p. 428), citing various investigators, lists the fol-
lowing foods consumed by these mice: Insects, berries, seeds, nuts,
fruits of various kinds, and roots. It has been noted that meadow
jumping mice are highly insectivorous (Quimby, 1951, pp. 85-86).
According to Krutzsch (1954, p. 429), meadow jumping mice com-
mence to breed shortly after they come out of hibernation, and the
breeding season is prolonged until just before they reenter hiberna-
tion in the autumn. There are probably two litters produced each
breeding season, and the number of young per litter varies from three to
eight. Bailey (1923, p. 120) reported a specimen from Sandy Springs,
Montgomery County, taken on 19 May 1906, that contained six large
embryos. The gestation period is approximately 18 days.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Dans Mountain, 1. Charles
County: Marshall Hall, 1; Newport, 2. Garrett County: Cunningham
Swamp, 4; Finzel, 1. Montgomery County: Cabin John Bridge, 2;
Kensington, 1 ; Rockville, 2 miles W, 1 ; Sandy Springs, 2 ; Seneca %
mile N, 1 ; Seneca, 3 miles W, 2. Prince Georges County : Branchville,
1; Laurel, 8; Patuxent Research Center, 2; Tuxedo, 1. Worcester
County: Ocean City, 5 miles S (Assateague Island), 1. District of
Columhia: 7.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Patapsco State
Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 7). Montgomery County: Forest Glen (one
seen by G. S. Miller and reported by Bailey, 1896, p. 98). Prince
Georges County: College Park (Krutzsch, 1954, p. 439) .
Remarks. — According to Krutzsch (1954, p. 439), specimens from
Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina are more nearly average
representatives of the subspecies americanus than are those from the
region of the type locality.
WOODLAND JUMPING MOUSE
Napaeozapus insignis insignis (Miller)
Zapus insignis Miller, Amer. Nat., 25 : 742, August 1891.
Type locality. — Restigouch River, New Brunswick, Canada.
General distribution. — Eastern Canada, from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
and Quebec soutii of St. Lawrence River, south into northeastern Ohio, northern
West Virginia, and western Maryland.
Distribution in Maryland. — Allegheny Mountain section ; may also
occur in the Ridge and Valley section, but has not been reported from
there as yet.
Distinguishing characteristics . — Teeth 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3, = 16; closely
resembles the preceding species, but somewhat larger in size; coloration
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
129
^
Napaeozapue insigms insigms
# Specimens examined
Figure 43. — Distribution of Napaeozapus insignis insignis.
similar to that of Zapus, but with a more brilliant orange on flanks
tail grayish above, white below, with a distinct whitish tip; upper
incisors grooved as in Zapus; only 3 molars present in maxillary, as
opposid to 3 molar and 1 premolar in Zapus.
Measurements. — Measurements of six adults (Coll. U. Mich.) from
5 miles SE of Grantsville (alt. 2,500 ft.), Savage River State Forest,
Garrett County, are as follows: Total length 223 (215-230) ; tail 134.7
(130-138) ; hind foot 30 (29-31) ; ear 16.2 (16-17) ; greatest length of
skull 23.1 (22.2-23.7) ; zygomatic breadth 12.1 (11.8-12.3) ; interor-
bital breadth 4.5 (4.1^.7) ; length of maxillary toothrow 3.6 (3.4-3.8).
Habitat and habits. — This species prefers the moist, cool forests
where it is particularly abundant along the banks of mountain streams.
One of the Maryland specimens was taken along Muddy Creek, near
Swallow Falls, in a Rhododendron and hemlock forest which is typical
woodland jumping mouse habitat. Handley and Patton (1947, p. 184)
found that in Virginia they are most common at high altitudes among
ferns, blackberry, and St.-Johns-wort in clearings surrounded by
forest. The woodland jumping mouse is seldom found in open meadows,
fields, or marshes where this is no heavy forest within close proximity.
This species makes no well-defined trails or runways, but utilizes
the burrows of moles and larger shrews, or seeks shelter under rotting
logs and fallen trees. Nests are usually placed several inches below
130 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
the ground and are made of leaves and dry grass. Sometimes the en-
trance to the nest is closed when the animal is in the burrow.
During the colder months of the year, woodland jumping mice
hibernate, and their life processes are reduced to a mininum. In the
autumn they eat heavily and accumulate large stores of fat on the body
to carry them over the long period of hibernation. Their hibernation,
deep and prolonged, is usually half of the year.
Hamilton (1941, pp. 260-261) lists the food of the woodland jump-
ing mouse as insect larvae (particularly lepidopterous and dipterous
forms), spiders, small soil worms, centipedes, various small inverte-
brates, small seeds, tiny nuts, small green leaves, blueberries, rasp-
berries, and fragments of Asplenium fronds.
This species normally raises but one litter a year. The gestation
period is between 20 and 23 days, and from two to six young, possibly
eight, comprise a litter ; the most frequent number appears to be five.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Dans Mountain, 2. Garrett
County: Finzel, 1 ; Grantsville, 5 miles SE (Savage River State For-
est), 8 (Coll. U. Mich.) ; Muddy Greek Falls, 3 (Coll. U. Md.) ; Swal-
low Falls State Forest (along Muddy Creek) , 1.
Remarks. — Although Preble (1899, p. 35) noted that the specimen
he collected at Finzel showed no approach to N. i. roanensis (type
locality: Roan Mountain, N.C.), it is my opinion that this specimen
and one from Swallow Falls State Forest and eight from 5 miles SE
of Grantsville show traits that are characteristic of roanensis. They
are smaller in size and darker in coloration than typical insignis, and
they appear to represent intergrades with roanensis. However, they
are closer to insignis than roanensis in these characters and are herein
assigned to the former subspecies.
Order CARNIVORA (flesh-eating mammals)
Family Canldae (dogs, foxes, etc.)
COYOTE
Canis latrans Say
Canis latrans Say, in Long, Account of an exped. ... to the Rocky
Mts. . . . ,1:168,1823).
Type locality. — Engineer Cantonment, about 12 miles southeast of the present
town of Blair, Washington County, Nebr., on the west bank of the Missouri
River.
General distribution. — Distributed primarily west of Mississippi River, from
Alaska to Central America, with the center of population in the Great Plains
of the United States. The species has recently been reported from a number of
Eastern States, and apparently has been expanding its range eastward. Some of
the eastern populations, however, may be derived from animals that escape from
captivity, particularly those populations in Southern States.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 131
.'9.
1
76'
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76°
7V
/
K/^^
r /
— 7-
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i
A
j
i
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-a9«-
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C<mis Xatrana
C Specimens examined
4
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FiGUBE 44. — Distribution of Canis latrans.
Distribution in Maryland. — May be expected anywhere in the State.
See discussion in Remarks section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/3, = 42;
closely resembles a small police dog, but with shorter legs, a bushier
tail, and a more slender muzzle. Some feral dogs are so similar to
coyotes that it is a difficult task for even an expert to distinguish them.
The problem is further compounded because the coyote and dog may
interbreed in the wild, although authentic reports of such crosses are
scarce. There does not appear to be any certain way to distinguish
coyote-dog hybrids from pure domestic dogs.
The coyote is grayish in coloration, and the dorsal hairs are tipped
with black. There is a rusty or yellowish tint on the neck and along
the sides, particularly on the flanks. The head is grizzled gray ; the ears
brownish. The feet are fulvous, and the throat and belly white. Since
some domestic dogs may be similar to this in coloration, it is sometimes
necessary to examine the skull to determine the species of the animal
in question. The most important cranial difference between the two
is that in the coyote the frontal region of the skull is alw^ays flattened,
whereas in the dog it bulges to some degree. In some varieties of domes-
tic dog this bulge is quite pronounced, in others it is less so, but it is
generally more developed than in the coyote. The second most notice-
able difference is found in the rostrum, which is slender and elongated
132 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
in the coyote and usually shorter and more blunt in the dog. In addi-
tion, the tips of the upper canines of the coyote fall below the level of
the anterior mental foramina when the jaws are closed; in the dog
they terminate above these foramina. The premolar teeth in the coyote
are generally widely space ; in the dog they are crowded. The ventral
surface of the mandibular ramus is flattened in the coyote, whereas in
the dog it is generally rounded. Various indexes have been developed
to express numerically some of the above-mentioned cranial differences
(see Howard, 1949, p. 171 ; Bee and Hall, 1951, pp. 73-77 ; Burt, 1946,
pp. 61-62).
Certain specimens exhibit a confusing combination of dog and
coyote characteristics. These animals may represent hybrids, but the
characteristics of known hybrids have not been adequately documented.
Until the problem of hybridization between the coyote and dog is
thoroughly studied it seems advisable to refer any questionable speci-
mens to the latter species. The domestic dog is one of the most variable
animals with regard to its physical structure, whereas the coyote is
a very uniform one (except for size). Because of this, it is possible for
the domestic dog to exhibit some coyote traits without having any ad-
mixture of coyote blood, whereas it is far less likely that a coyote would
exhibit dog traits without some dog intermixture.
In the field, the coyote at a distance may resemble a gray wolf ( Canis
Iwpus). The coyote, however, is much the smaller animal, has a more
yellowish cast to the pelage, and carries its tail lower when running.
The skull of the coyote is smaller than that of the gray wolf, and more
lightly built ; the teeth are much smaller, and the frontal region of the
skull is flat, whereas in the gray wolf it is bulging as in the domestic
dog.
Both the red fox and the gray fox are less doglike in general appear-
ance than the coyote, and both are considerably smaller in size, and
different in coloration.
Measurements. — Externally the coyote ranges in total length from
1,052 to 1,320 mm. with a tail vai-ying from 300 to 394 mm. The hind
foot averages between 177 and 220 mm. (Hall and Kelson, 1959, p.
843) . Animals from southwestern localities are smaller than those from
farther north, and males are larger than females.
A male from 5 miles northwest of Poolesville, Montgomery County,
and a female from Cecil County, near the Delaware State line, west
of Middlebury, Del., have the following cranial measurements : Condy-
lobasal length 180.4, ; zygomatic breadth 99.8, 87.8; interorbital
breadth 29.6, 31.5 ; length of maxillary toothrow 82.3, 78.7.
Habitat and habits. — ^The coyote prefers open or semiopen country.
Young (Young and Jackson, 1951, p. 11) calls the coyote an "edge"
animal, and believes that it has expanded its range as the forested
MAMMALS OF MARYLANiD 133
areas of the country vanished either through natural means such as
forest fires or through manmade means such as logging etc. With the
clearing of the land in the Northeastern United States, the coyote
probably found habitat there to its liking, and has extended its range
eastward.
The habits of the coyote are thoroughly discussed by Young and
Jackson (pp. 47-105). The following is compiled primarily from their
findings.
The home of the coyote is usually a den which it constructs on a bank
or hillside, in wheat or com fields, under houses, shacks, drainage
pipes, or in hollow logs in thickets. Often the animal makes use of a
fox or skunk den, enlarging it to suit its needs.
As a rule, coyotes do not mate for life, but some pairs may remain
together for a number of years. There is evidence that the female may
breed when she is 1 year of age. The breeding season is from February
to March or April, being earlier apparently in northern than in south-
ern latitudes (Hamlett, 1938) . The gestation period is 60 to 63 days, and
females have been known to deliver as many as 17 to 19 young, although
5 to 7 is the usual number.
Sperry (1941) examined the stomachs of 8,339 coyotes from western
and midwestern localities and found that the principal food of the
species is animal matter, of which more than 90% consists of mammals.
In addition to carrion (25.1%), the chief mammals consumed are rab-
bits (33.2%), rodents (17.5%), domestic livestock (13.5%), big game
mammals, principally deer (3.6%), and miscellaneous mammals such
as skunks, badgers, weasels, shrews, moles, foxes, raccoons, cats, etc.
(1%). Birds comprise some 2.9% of the coyote's diet, and other verte-
brates 0.08%. Insects account for 1% of the diet, and vegetable matter,
principally wild fruit and cultivated fruit, some 1.7%. These percent-
ages vary according to seasonal availability.
Specimens examined -Cecil County: Near Delaware line, west of
Middletown, Delaware, 1. Montgomery County. Poolesville, 5 miles
NW, 1.
Rem/irks. — ^The coyote has been reported from nearly all of the
Eastern States. It is known that the species has been extending its
range eastward. Probably the coyotes of our Northeastern States are
a result of the natural expansion of the range of the species. On the
other hand, coyotes have been introduced accidentally, or on purpose,
into some of the Southeastern States, and present populations in those
States may derive from these artificial introductions.
The first coyote discovered in Maryland was taken on 5 February
1921, on a farm 5 miles NW of Poolesville, Montgomery County.
Jackson (1922, p. 187) in a discussion of this animal says ;
134 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
The question naturally arises as to how a coyote reached this eastern locality. It
is, of course, impossible to say definitely. The animal probably escaped from cap-
tivity. Or it may represent an extreme eastern extension of the geographic range
of coyotes. There is no direct evidence for or against either of the suppositions.
It is known that the range of the coyotes has gradually extended northward
and eastward, but it would seem hardly probable that the si)ecies has, as yet,
ingressed a region as far east as central Maryland.
The area in which this animal was taken was transversed by a ma-
jor east- west arterial highway (U.S. Route 40) and it seems highly
likely that the animal was brought into the area artifically. This view
is supported by the fact that nearly 40 years elapsed before another
coyote was discovered in Maryland. If the Montgomery County coyote
really represented a southward or eastward extension of the range of
the species, there probably would have been at least occasional reports
of their presence in the State in later years. As it is, not until 21 April
1961 was another coyote discovered in Maryland. On this date, a coyote
was shot in Cecil County near the Delaware border by employees of
the Delaware Board of Game and Fish Commissioners. Here again,
the area where the animal was shot is near a major east- west highway
system and not very distant from the cities of Baltimore, Wilmington,
and Philadelphia. It seems likely that the animal was brought east as
a pet, and either was released or escaped from captivity. On the other
hand, the increasing number of reports of coyotes from New England,
New York, and other Northeastern States make it more probable now
than it was 40 years ago that the species has reached Maryland in its
natural range expansion. It is still, nevertheless, impossible to say
definitely.
RED FOX
Vulpes vulpes fulva (Desmarest)
Canis fidvus Desmarest, Mammalogie . . ., pt. 1, p. 203, in Encyclo-
pedie methodique . . . 1820.
Type Locality. — Virginia.
General distribution. — Most of the Eastern United States, from southern
Maine, southern Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Alabama, Georgia, and the
Carolina®.
Distribution in Marylomd. — Occurs in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing char(wteristiGS. — Dental formula as in Ccmis; sim-
ilar in size and general characteristics to a small dog; nose sharply
pointed ; ears prominent and erect ; tail long and bushy, fulvous, but
strongly streaked with black, and always with a white tip ; pelage long
and soft; coloration rusty on face and occiput, usually mixed with
whitish ; upper parts colored bright yellowish red, or fulvous, darker
on the median line, with the rump grizzled with whitish ; cheeks, chin,
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
135
79- 76-
1 '
77"
7,6-
7fe
^S
-39.- SCALE
O >0 20 30 MILES
B
-39°-
VuVpes vulpes fulva
# Specimens examined
^^^^^^^
'^7Z(^%^:
O Specimens reported
-36*-
^^
%i
/%!
1 1
79' rp'
T7*
1
76»
flOM
Figure 45. — Distribution of Vulpes vulpes fulva.
throat, and a band down the abdomen white ; feet and outside of ears
black.
Cranially, this fox differs from the gray fox ( Urocyon) in that the
temporal ridges enclose a narrow V on the top of the skull, whereas
in the latter they are distinctly lyrate in shape ; the upper incisors are
lobed, in contrast to the unlobed condition in Urocyon.
Measurements. — Three adult males from Montgomery County have
the following external measurements: Total length 1030, 1000, 995;
tail 370, 372, 360; hind foot 170, 165, 160; ear 83, 86, 85. Cranial meas-
urements of seven adults from Montgomery County are as follows:
Basal length 139.7 (133.8-143.6) ; zygomatic breadth 72.0 (69.7-74.0) ;
postorbital constriction 23.9 (22.0-28.8) ; alveolar length of upper
maxillary toothrow 61.8 (59.5-63.4) .
Females average smaller than males in size.
Habitat and habits. — The red fox is cosmopolitan in its distribution,
except that it is not generally found in dense forests and woods. It
prefers rolling farmland, sparsely wooded areas, brushlands, and dense
weed patches, usually in the vicinity of a stream or lake.
The species is now abundant in all sections of the State, although
at one time it apparently was not found here. According to Mansueti
(1950, pp. 27-28), the early American settlers hunted the gray fox
{Urocyon cmereoargenteus) . The Indians were unanimous in claim-
ing that before the coming of the Europeans there were no red foxes
186 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
in the area. Sometime around 1650, red foxes were imported from
England and released along the Eastern Shore of Maryland. These
foxes apparently thrived and by the late 1670's had spread down the
peninsula into Virginia. Today the species is widely distributed in
Maryland, and is found even within the limits of metropolitan areas
such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Whether the fox which now
occurs throughout the State is the variety introduced by the English,
or the native eastern North American form which has extended its
range southward, will be discussed under the Remarks section.
The red fox is extremely abundant in some areas of the State. Ac-
cording to the League of Maryland Sportsmen (Rally Sheet 4(10),
p. 6, December 1946) 79 were caught in a 5-week period at Mount
Savage, Garrett County, in 1946. At the eastern end of the State on
the outer barrier beach of Assateague Island, it is also abundant, and
does some damage to nesting birds and their eggs. This species still
roams in Rock Creek Park in the heart of Washington, D.C.
The food of the red fox varies from season to season. Llewellyn and
Uhler, (1952, p. 198) found that in their Maryland sample, compris-
ing mostly November, December, and January animals, 17 percent of
the food was plant material consisting of fruits, berries, and other
plant items. Persimmon, pokeberry, and wild grape were most often
consumed, while in the fall beechnuts were heavily utilized. Apple,
pear, and com were eaten to a minor extent. The bulk of the red fox's
food consists of animal foods, the most important part of which ap-
pears to be rabbit. Also consumed are rodents (meadow mice, musk-
rats, pine mice, gray and flying squirrels, house mice) and shrews.
Birds and occasionally insects are eaten. In the spring and summer
months the food consists of woodchucks, poultry, rabbits, small ro-
dents, birds, snakes, turtles, eggs and varying amounts of vegetable
matter particularly raspberries and blackberries. There is no question
that red foxes prey to some extent on domestic livestock, particularly
poultry when it is not properly housed. Sometimes red foxes may be-
come quite bold. Vernon Bailey (unpublished report in files of U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 25 April 1936) tells of a pair raiding the
henhouse of a farm in Brookville, Montgomery County; they were
so bold that they often raided in broad daylight and took the hens
before the eyes of their owners.
The red fox is monogamous and is believed to remain mated for
life. The species is monestrous, with one season a year. Most matings
take place in late January or February, and the gestation period is
between 49 and 55 days. Litter size varies between one and eight, with
four or five being the usual number.
The breeding or family den of the red fox is nearly always in a
burrow, often that of a woodchuck, and is more often located in more
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 137
open land, such as a pasture, fence border, or cultivated field. Vernon
Bailey (unpublished report, 1936) described one such den at Brooke-
ville as follows :
The den had four openings, or doorways, 10, 15, and 20 feet apart, really the old
doorways of a woodchuck den enlarged to fox size. Two opened out on each side
of a big chestnut log, 3 or 4 feet in diameter. The burrows had been dug out
by the foxes to about twice the diameter of the woodchuck burrows and en-
larged to a comfortable fox nest room 20 feet back from the main entrance and
10 feet back from the other doorways. They ran 3 or 4 feet below the surface
through hard clay full of rocks that necessitated many crooks and turns but ran
uphill so the nest chamber was actually higher up than the actual doorway. All
of the burrows centered at the nest, beyond which the original woodchuck burrow
extended about 10 feet further but did not come to the surface.
There was no nest material in the nest chamber, but semidry earth made a
comfortable bed for the young foxes with their dense woolly coats, and a uniform
temperature that I should guess was around 55° F. gave them a healthy home in
the den.
Both parents hunt for food to provide for the young. Bailey de-
scribes the food found in the den at Brookeville :
Much food had been brought into the den by the parent foxes. One white rooster
had been all eaten but the wings and head and telltale feathers scattered around
the doorway ; one large house rat was lying near the doorway and two others
were found in the nest chamber and parts of four others in the pantry, an
excavation half full of food at one side of the upper entrance. It was about four
feet below the surface and so cool that all of the meat was fresh though some
of it several days old. From this were taken out part of a cottontail, half a
crow, and a mouse.
Specimens examined. — Arnie Arundel County: Fort George G.
Meade, 1; Priest Bridge (near), 1. Clmrles County: Waldorf, 1.
Dorchester County: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 9. Fred-
erick County: Jefferson, 2. Garrett County: Oakland, 1. Howard
Coumty: no exact locality, 1. Montgomery County: Bethesda, 1;
Brookeville, 1 ; Fairland, 1 ; Poolesville, 5 miles SW, 3 ; Potomac, 1 ;
Eockville, 1 ; Sandy Spring, 1 ; no exact locality, 1. Prince Georges
County: Laurel, 5; Patuxent Research Center, 4. Worcester Coumty:
Ocean City, 3 miles S (Assateague Island), 2. District of Columbia: 3.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Mount Savage
(League of Maryland Sportsmen, Rally Sheet 4(10), p. 6, December
1946). Baltimore County: Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco State
Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 6). Garrett Ccmnty: Finzel (E. A. Preble in
field report). Montgomery County: Laytonsville (rabid red fox re-
ported in Washington Evening Star, 28 December 1956) ; Plummers
Island (Goldman and Jackson, 1939, p. 132).
Remarks. — It is well established that the red fox was either scarce
or did not occur in Maryland prior to the colonization of the State
by Europeans. Churcher (1959, p. 514) states that "a red fox was native
138 NORTH AMERICAN, FAUNA 66
to Nor^.h American north of Lat. 40° N or 45° N, but was either scarce
or absent from most of the unbroken mixed hardwood forests (to the
south of this) where the gray fox was paramount."
The early Maryland colonists originally hunted the gray fox, but
apparently at a very early date the European red fox was imported for
hunting purposes and was released at various localities, one of which
was the Eastern Shore. Since the red fox is now found throughout the
whole of Maryland, as well as much of the Southeastern United States,
the question arises whether these southern red foxes are the European
variety or native North American red foxes which have extended their
range southward.
Churcher (1959, pp. 513-520) has established that the European red
fox and the North American red fox are subspecies of the same species
Vulpes vulpes^ the various subspecies intergrading in several major
characters (shape of upper first molar, breadth of rostrum, develop-
ment of sagittal crest) from western Europe, through Siberia, Alaska,
Canada, to eastern North America. The two end products, the west-
ern European red fox and the eastern North American red fox are,
however, quite different animals even if only subspecifically distinct.
The European red fox is larger and has a more robust skull than its
eastern American relative. It also has a shorter, broader rostrum,
a relatively narrower interorbital region, and a well-developed sagittal
crest which forms a distinct ridge along the top of the skull. In the
native eastern American red fox the sagittal crest is occasionally de-
veloped but usually not into a conspicuous ridge. It narrowly diverges
anteriorly into the temporal ridges which enclose a conspicuous V on
the top of the skull. This conspicuous V formed by the temporal ridges
is usually not as well developed, or is lacking, in the European form.
The shape of the first upper molar also differs in the two subspecies.
In the European variety this tooth is large and square in general out-
line, the buccal cingulum is rounded, the talon broad, and the mesial
face convex. In the American form, the tooth gives the general appear-
ance of being elongated laterally ; the buccal face is deeply indented,
the talon elongated, the mesial and distal faces concave, and there is
a small protoconule.
All the Maryland red foxes (and those from farther south) that I
have examined show the characters of the native eastern North Amer-
ican form, and there seems to be no indication of intermixture with
European fox blood. In fact, Maryland specimens appear to be indistin-
guishable from those of Wisconsin, Michigan, southern Ontario, and
New England, where I presume there was little or no importation of
European stock by early colonists. It is possible that with the clearing
of land in the Southeastern United States, the habitat became well
suited to the native American red fox, which then invaded the area
MAMMALS OF MARYLAMD 139
from the north. The European red foxes, which may never really
have been well established in the United States, were perhaps swamped
by the influx of native American foxes and left no recognizable char-
acteristics on the present fox population in Maryland or elsewhere in
the Southeast.
GRAY FOX
Urocyon cinereoargenteus cinereoargenteus (Schreber)
Cards cinereo argenteus Schreber, Die Saugtheire . . ., Thiel 2, Heft
13, pi. 92, 1775.
Type locality. — Eastern North America.
General distribution. — Distributed from southern New York and Lower
Peninsula of Michigan, south to South Carolina and Tennessee, west to eastern
Illinois.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in all sections of the State. It is
more abundant, however, in the rolling hilly country of the Piedmont,
Ridge and Valley, and Allegheny Mountain sections than in the low,
flat, mashy country of the Eastern Shore section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Dental formula as in Canis; colora-
tion grizzled gray above with hairs banded with black and grayish
white ; inner sides of legs, sides of belly, neck, and band across chest
reddish brown ; belly and throat white ; chin black ; underf ur soft and
wooly, overlaid with short, coarse guard hairs; tail bushy, laterally
compressed with a concealed mane of stiff black hairs on its upper side,
near the base; legs short, feet equipped with well-curved claws that
adapt the animal for climbing; skull with temporal ridges whose
divergent branches enclose a lyrate area and never coalesce to form a
distinct, sharp central sagittal crest.
This fox is somewhat smaller in size, has shorter legs, and is differ-
ently colored, than the red fox.
Measurements. — An adult male from Washington, D.C., has exter-
nal measurements as follows: Total length 996; tail 356; hind foot
143 ; ear 71. The animal weighed lOi/^ lbs.
Six adults of both sexes from Laurel, Prince Georges County, have
the following cranial measurements: Basal length 112.7 (110.8-
114.0) ; zygomatic breadth 67.0 (63.0-70.8) ; interorbital breadth
24.9 (23.8-27.3) ; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow 51.6 (50.9-
52.9).
There does not appear to be any appreciable size difference between
the sexes.
Habitat and habits. — This animal is essentially a southern and west-
ern species that has apparently only recently invaded this northern
portion of its range (Hamilton 1943, p. 176). It prefers timbered and
rocky regions. Because of its relatively short legs, it has no great
140
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Urooyon cinereoargenteus ainereoargenteu.
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 46. — Distribution of Vrocyon cinereoargenteus cinereoargenteus.
speed and would perhaps have difficulty surviving in wide open areas.
On the other hand, it is quite at home in the trees, being more arboreal
than the red fox. For protection, it depends to some extent on rocky
or brushy cover to which it can retreat, or forests where it can quickly
climb a tree to escape a predator. Of 60 gray foxes trapped at the
Patuxent Research Center, Prince Georges County, in the 1940's, the
majority were taken in hedgerows and margins habitat, and most of
the others in bottomland forests (Uhler and Llewellyn, 1952, p. 84).
This species selects a hollow tree or log for a den ; occasionally it
may use a burrow in the ground. It breeds but once a year, usually in
February. Young are born from March to May and may number from
two to seven, with the average being four. Both parents take part in
caring for the young.
The food of the gray fox varies from season to season. Studies at
the Patuxent Research Center (Llewellyn and Uhler, 1952, p. 199)
indicate that in late fall and early winter approximately 30 percent of
the gray fox's food is plant material, while about 70 percent is animal.
Of the plant food consumed, persimmon was the most important item,
while corn, pear, apple, and beechnut were also taken. Rodents were by
far the most important animal food, but rabbits, birds, and insects were
also consumed. Hamilton (1943, p. 177) lists rabbits as the most
important food for the species. He also lists birds, small mammals,
MAMMAI/S OF MARYLAND 141
particularly field mice, deer mice, wood rats, and shrews, snakes, tur-
tles, and their eggs, lizards, insects, apples, beechnuts, corn, grapes,
hickory nuts, persimmons, carrion, wild cherries, and grasses as addi-
tional food items.
The species is abundant in the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, and
Allegheny Mountain sections. Forty gray foxes were taken in only 5
weeks in 1946 at Mount Savage, Garrett County (League of Mary-
land Sportsmen, Rally Sheet 4(10) , p. 6, December 1946). The species,
however, is not abundant in the Eastern Shore section. In fact, the
first gray fox ever taken on the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge,
Dorchester County, was obtained as late as 22 October 1943. Appar-
ently much of the Eastern Shore section is too low, flat, and marshy
for the animals' liking.
Specimens exammed. — Anne Arundel County: Fort George G.
Meade, 1. Charles County: La Plata, 1; Rock Point, 1. Dorchester
County: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 1 (baculum). Mont-
gomery County: Plummers Island, 1; Silver Spring, 1. Prince
Georges County: Beltsville, 1; Berwyn, 2; Landover, 1; Largo, 1;
Laurel, 11 ; Marlboro, 1. ; Oxon Hill, 1 ; Patuxent Research Center, 11.
Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Mount Savage
(League of Maryland Sportsmen, Rally Sheet 4(10), p. 6, December
1946). Montgomery County: Cupids Bower (Bailey, 1923, p. 123.).
Family URSIDAE (bears)
BLACK BEAR
Vrsus americanus Pallas
Ursus aTnericanus Pallas, . . . Spicilegia zoologica, . . . fasc. 14: 5,
1780.
Type locality. — Eastern North America.
General distribution. — Wooded areas of North America, from Newfoundland
to Alaska, and south into central Mexico.
Distribution in Maryland. — The black bear was once distributed
throughout the State, but today is on the verge of extirpation and is
found only in restricted areas in the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny
Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/3, = 42;
largest wild mammal in Maryland; toes armed with strong claws;
normal color both above and below black or very dark brown, except
for cinnamon patch across muzzle and sometimes a white blotch on
throat; pelage harsh and coarse. The black bear is so familiar as to
scarcely need description.
Mea^ureinents. — "Total length, adult males, 1375 to 1780 mm. (54
to 70 in.) ; tail, 90 to 125 mm. (3.5 to 5 in.) ; hind foot, 215-280 mm.
336-897 O— 69 10
142 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
(8.5 to 11 in.). Weight, adult males, 250 to 500 pounds, rarely 600
pounds or more, normally 300 to 400 pounds. Skull, adult males,
length, 270 to 298 mm. ; width, 158 to 185 mm. Total length, adult
females, 1270 to 1475 mm. (50 to 58 in.) ; tail 80 to 115 mm. (3 to 4.5
in.) ; hind foot, 190 to 240 mm. (7.5 to 9.5 in.) . Weight, adult females,
225 to 450 pounds. Skull, adult females, length 255 to 285 mm. ; width,
148 to 172 mm." (Jackson, 1961, p. 313) .
Habitat and habits. — The black bear prefers heavily wooded areas,
and is now confined to the wildest and most inaccessible forests of
the Allegheny Mountain section. Individuals may occasionally visit
well-populated agricultural areas, but they usually do not remain in
the neighborhood of humans for any length of time.
Except for females with cubs, the black bear is solitary in habits.
It is nocturnal but usually does not wait until full darkness to ven-
ture forth ; occasionally an individual may be seen abroad in the day-
time. These bears remain dormant from about the end of November
or early December until March or April, usually in a cavity dug under
an overturned tree, most often at the roots. Sometimes other sites are
chosen, such as a cave in rocks, a hollow tree, or dense thickets.
The female gives birth in January or February ; the gestation period
is about 225 days. One to five young may comprise a litter, but the
usual number is two. Black bears normally breed only every other
year.
The black bear is an omnivorous animal, consuming a wide variety
of foods. It is especially fond of fruits and eats large quantities of
blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. It also con-
sumes quantities of mice, insects, and fish and occasionally wiU kill
and devour sheep and pigs. In the autumn, when nuts are available, it
feeds extensively on acorns and beechnuts. In addition, it will occa-
sionally eat grass, roots, and fungi.
Remarks. — Mansueti (1950, pp. 14-16) has thoroughly investigated
the former and present distribution of this species in Maryland.
According to him, the black bear was at one time distributed through-
out the State and was plentiful. Early settlers considered it the banc^
of their existence. Today the black bear still exists in restricted por-
tions of the western part of the State, but in the past 2 or 3 decades
it has been on the verge of extinction. A 1937 report by the U.S.
Bureau of Biological Survey (Big-Game Inventory of the United
States, 1937, Wildlife Research and Management Leaflet BS-122,
January 1939) placed the total number of bears in Maryland at 150.
Tlie 1938 summary (Big-Game Inventory of the United States, 1938,
U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, Wildlife Leaflet BS-142, August
1939) placed the number at 50. By 1946 (Big-Game Inventory of the
United States, 1946, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Leaflet
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 143
303, March 1948) the estimate was down to 25; in 1951 (Inventory of
Big-Game Animals of the United States, 1950 and 1951, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Leaflet 342, October 1952) to 20; and
by 1956 to 12.
Bears are still occasionally seen in Allegany and Garrett Counties.
Theodore A. Bookhout, formerly with the University of Maryland's
Natural Resources Institute, has informed me of several recent sight-
ings. In the fall of 1963, one was seen near Murley's Branch, a few
miles south of Flintstone, Allegany County ; in October 1963, one was
seen on Maryland Route 55, approximately 2 miles north of Cor-
riganville, Allegany County; on January 3, 1964, bear tracks were
seen on Wagner Road just north of Oldtown, Allegany County.
As Mansueti (1950, p. 16) notes, however, western Maryland is
becoming more densely populated and the extensive forests are being
laid waste, and the black bear will disappear mainly because it is
unwanted. At most it will remain in only the most remote and inac-
cessible of Maryland wildlife sanctuaries.
Family PROCYONIDAE (raccoons, coatis, etc.)
RACCOON
Procyon lotor lotor (Linnaeus)
[Ursics'] Zo^or Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 48, 1758.
Procyon lotor m-aritirmis Dozier, J. Mammal., 29(3) : 286, August
1948. (Type locality : Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Dor-
chester County, Md.)
Type locality. — Pennsylvania (fixed by Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p.
140, March 1911).
General distribution. — "Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, southern
Quebec, and southern Ontario, south through the eastern United States to North
Carolina from the Atlantic coast west to Lake Michigan, Indiana, southern Illi-
nois, western Kentucky and probably eastern Tennessee." (Goldman, 1950, p. 33.)
Distribution in Maryland. — Common in all sections of the State,
but particularly abundant in the Eastern Shore section.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/2, = 40;
size medium; form robust; fur long and coarse; coloration of upper
parts grizzled gray, brownish, and blackish, there being considerable
individual variation; sides paler than upper parts; under parts dull
grayish brown, tinged with yellowish gray or white; black band, or
mask, extends through eyes and across cheeks; remainder of face
yellowish gray; tail alternately banded brownish gray or blackish
and yellow, with five to seven dark rings, always terminating in a
dark band.
144
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
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FiGUKE 47. — Distribution of Procyon lotor lotor.
The racoon is easily distinguished from all other Maryland mam-
mals by the dark facial mask and the long-haired tail ringed with
black and yellow.
Measurements. — External and cranial measurements of four adult
females from the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Dorchester
County, are: Total length 749.5 (718-762) ; tail 236.7 (210-254) ; hind
foot 108 (102-114) ; condylobasal length of skull 110.9 (107.1-114.2) ;
zygomatic breadth 67.1 (62.7-69.7) ; postorbital breadth 23.3 (22.5-
23.8) ; length of maxillary toothrow 41.3 (39.9-43.8) ; breadth of ros-
trmn at incisors 23.7 (23.1-24.2). External measurements of three and
cranial measurements of four adult males are : Total length 736, 736,
762; tail 229, 229, 254; hind foot 102, 102, 102; condylosabal length of
skull 114.1 (110.9-117.9) ; zygomatic breadth 67.4 (64.9-69.9) ; post-
orbital breadth 22.5 (21.0-24.7) ; upper maxillary toothrow 26.1 (25.3-
26.5).
Three adult males and three adult females from Laurel, Prince
Georges County, measure cranially: Condylobasal length 109.6, 112.7,
111.7, 106.3, 104.4, 108.8 ; zygomatic breadth 67.4, 67.8, 74.9, 67.7, 68.4,
65.1; postpalatal breadth 24.2, 22.1, 23.5, 22.1, 22.4, 23.2; length of
maxillary toothrow 40.9, 41.6, 41.1, 40.7, 39.0, 40.1 ; breadth of rostrum
at incisors 25.6, 25.1, 26.1, 23.5, 22.5, 22.8.
Habitat and habits. — The raccoon is cosmopolitan in habitat pref-
erence, being found in woods, swamps, and marshes, including salt-
MAMMALS OF MABYLANID 145
water marshes of the Atlantic barrier beaches. Uhler and Llewellyn
(1952, p. 83) report that at the Patuxent Research Center, near Laurel,
Prince Georges County, the outstanding habitat type was bottomland
forest, followed by cultivated fields (mainly those with com), hedge
rows and wood margins, particularly if leading to cornfields. Rac-
coons were also abundant around marshy lake borders and in swamps.
The raccoon is a very adept climber. Although it usually makes
its home in a hollow tree, it sometimes will utilize a fissure in a cliff,
or a hole among rocks. Raccoons rapidly diminish in numbers when
trees are cut over, and will either die off or leave the area after all
the trees are gone.
The raccoon is nocturnal, and forages for its food after sunset. Its
diet consists of fish, crayfish, frogs, and mussels, as well as poultry,
mice, birds, eggs, reptiles, and insects. In season, it eats considerable
amounts of vegetable matter such as nuts, fruits, berries, and corn.
In more northern climates the raccoon hibernates, but in Maryland
it remains active the year round except in the coldest portions of the
western part of the State. The species breeds in January and Febru-
ary, and some 63 days later females give birth to two to six young.
The cubs are born blind and remain so for about 19 days ; they suckle
for 2 months, and remain in the family circle through the winter.
Remarks. — Maryland raccoons differ in no significant way from
Pennsylvania and New York specimens. Dozier (1948a, p. 286) sep-
arated the raccoons inhabiting the marshes of the Delmarva Peninsula
from those living in the surrounding woods as a distinct subspecies,
Procyon lotor rnaritiTnus. I have examined the type of this race, as
well as the series designated by Dozier as representing it, and am
unable to separate it from raccoons inhabiting other parts of Mary-
land. All the diagnostic characters mentioned by Dozier (paler colora-
tion ; longer but more sparse guard hairs ; much smaller size ; shorter,
more pointed and less prominently banded tail; relatively shorter
caudal vertebrae; smaller and more distinctly curved baculum; and
various cranial characters) are either within the limits of individual
variation of P. I. lotor., or are so slightly marked that I have been
unable to distinguish them. Consequently, I consider Procyon lotor
maritimus Dozier to be a synonym of Procyon lotor lotor (Linnaeus) .
Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County : Rutland, 1. Calvert
County: Prince Frederick, 1; St. Leonard (near), 1; Sollers, 9.
Charles County: Marshall Hall, 1; Newport, 1. Dorchester County:
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 69 ; Cambridge, 1 ; Castlehaven
Point, 3; Crapo, 1; Crocheron, 1; Golden Hill, 2; House Point, 11;
Kirwan's Neck, 2; Meekins Neck, 1 ; Punch Island, 6; Robbins (near),
1 ; Shorters Wharf, 1 ; Vienna, 1 ; Worlds End Creek, 1. Frederick
146 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
County: Jefferson, 2. Kent County: Chestertown, 2; Millington (4
miles NE), 1. Montgomery County: Cabin John, 1. Prince Georges
County: Bowie, 1; Brancliville, 1; Laurel, 39; Patuxent Research
Center, 4. Somerset County: Cokesbury, 4; Mariimsco, 3; Rehoboth
(near), 2; Westover, 2; Whitehaven (across Wicomico River from),
3. Talbot County: St. Michaels, 1. Wicomico County : Bivalve (near),
1 ; Whitehaven, 1. Worcester County : Assateague Island, 1 ; Pocomoke
City (vicinity) , 17. District of Coluiribia: 1.
Other records and reports. — Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake
Roland area (Bures, 1948, p. 66) ; Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Pa-
tapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 5). Garrett County: Blooming
Rose (Browing, 1928, p. 26) ; Cranesville Pine Swamp (Mansueti,
1958, p. 83). Montgomery County : Burtonsville (Herman et al., 1957,
p. 113-114) ; Plmnmers Island (Goldman and Jackson, 1939, p. 132).
Wicomico County : Salisbury, a few miles east (Kilham and Herman
1955, p. 499).
Family MUSTELIDAE (weasels, skunks, otters, etc.)
ERMINE
Mustela erminea cicognanii Bonaparte
Mustela cigognanii [szc] Bonaparte, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist.,
2 : 37, 1838.
Type locality. — Eastern United States.
General distribution. — Southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, and Maine,
south through extreme northeastern Ohio and Pennsylvania into Maryland.
Distribution in Maryland. — Probably very rare in the Allegheny
Mountain, Ridge and Valley, and Piedmont sections, and absent from
the Western Shore and Eastern Shore sections. The species is most
numerous in the coniferous forests of the northern portion of its range,
but even in the north it is uncommon in coastal regions and con-
sequently it probably does not occur in Maryland's coastal plain. It
has been reported from the State only once.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 1/2, = 34;
size medium; body long and slender; legs short; tail moderately short,
averaging about 35 percent of head and body length, well haired and
slightly bushy, tipped with black above and below; coloration of upper
parts in summer dark brown extending to the outer parts of the legs
and feet; color of underparts whitish, usually tinged with yellow;
winter coloration white except for tip of tail which remains black.
This species resembles the long-tailed weasel {Mustela frenata) in
general appearance and in coloration, but is considerably smaller, and
shorter tailed. Wlien using size as a criterion in separating the two
species, it is necessary to take into account the sex of the individual.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
147
Mustela erminea cicognami
9 Specimens examined
Figure 48. — Distribution of Mustela erminea cicognanii.
Male and female long-tailed weasels are larger than male and female
ermines, but since the males in both species are larger than the fe-
males, a large male ermine may approach in size a small female long-
tailed weasel.
Measurements. — Hall (1951, p. 119) gives the averages and extremes
of external measurements of seven adult and subadult males from
New York and Pennsylvania as follows: Total length 266 (240-295) ;
length of tail 74 (66-80) ; length of hind foot 36 (33-39). He gives
the external measurements of 12 adult and subadult females from
Maine and the area south to central Pennsylvania as: Total length
243 (225-260) ; length of tail 63 (55-72) ; length of hind foot 29.8
(26-32).
Some cranial measurements given by Hall (1951, pp. 434-435) of
nine adult and subadult males from New York and Pennsylvania are :
Basilar length (of Hensel) 35.7 (33.8-37.6) ; zygomatic breadth 20.3
(19.0-20.6) ; interorbital breadth 8.6 (7.7-8.9) ; mastoidal breadth
18.2 (17.3-18.8) . Four adult and subadult females from New York and
Pennsylvania measure eranially: Basilar length (of Hensel) 32.4
(31.4-33.3); zygomatic breadth , , 17.5, 18.0; interorbital
breadth 7.5 (7.2-7.8) ; mastoidal breadth 15.7 (average of 3, 15.3-
16.0).
148 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Vasquez (1956, p. 114), who collected the only Maryland record of
this species, says that no external measurements are available for the
specimen, but he does give the following cranial measurements for the
female: Condylobasal length 38.1; basilar length (of Hensel) 34.3;
mastoidal breadth 17.1 ; depth of skull at first molars 9.1.
Habitat and habits. — ^This animal is most abundant in the northern
United States and Canada where it inhabits the deep spruce stands.
In the southern part of its range it is often encountered in brushy fields
and hedgegrows, and it is particularly fond of stone walls, where it
can elude its enemies and catch the small mammals and birds which
form its prey.
This weasel generally does not make its own home, but prefers to
occupy the chambers of some other mammal, most often a chipmunk's
cavity beneath a stump or pile of rocks. Its nest is composed of fur and
feathers from the animals on which it feeds.
According to Hamilton (1943, p. 136) all the evidence suggests
that these weasels mate in the early summer, and the fertilized eggs,
after undergoing a short development remain quiescent for several
months. Embryonic development continues in the late winter, and the
four to nine young are born usually in mid-April. Hamilton states
that the male weasel assists in bringing food to the young during their
infancy and that there is much evidence that weasels remain paired
throughout the year.
Hamilton (1933b, p. 333) reports fall and winter food of 191 ermine
in New York State as composed of the following : Meadow mice 35.7
percent; undetermined mammals (principally mice) 16.3 percent;
short-tailed shrews 15.1 percent; white-footed mice 11.4 percent; rab-
bits 9.0 percent ; long-tailed shrews 4.9 percent ; rats 4.4 percent ; and
chipmunks 3.6 percent. In addition, birds comprised some 2.1 percent,
and reptiles and amphibians 1.2 percent of the fall and winter food
of weasels (354 Mustela enninea and Mustela frenata) .
Remarks. — This species has been recorded only once from Maryland.
Vazquez (1956, pp. 113-114) reports that a cat killed an ermine on the
heavily wooded grounds of the Honeywell School, 4 miles northwest
of Bethesda, Montgomery County, on 27 May 1954. Prior to this,
Maryland was considered far south of the normal range of the ermine,
and it is possible that the animal escaped from captivity. Vazquez
states that the coloration is peculiarly grayish, and that its cranial
measurements are slightly larger than those of female Mustela erminea
clcognanii and approach those of males of this race. The skin and skull
of the specimen are in Vazquez' private collection and I have not ex-
amined them.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
149
LONG-TAILED WEASEL
Mustela frenata noveboracensis (Emmons)
Putorius NovehoraceTisis Emmons, a report on the quadrupeds of
Massachusetts,
p. 45, 1840.
Type locality. — Williamstown, Berkshire County, Mass.
General distribution. — From Wisconsin east through Michigan, southwestern
Ontario, southern Quebec, and southeastern Maine, south through the eastern
United States to North Carolina, western South Carolina, northern Georgia,
and Alabama, west to the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers.
Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs in all sections of the State.
Distinguishing characteristics. — A large weasel, similar in colora-
tion and general appearance to the ermine, but larger and with a longer
tail. It is generally believed that except in the coldest portions of the
Allegheny Mountain section, most Maryland long-tailed weasels re-
main in brown pelage the year round, and the majority of winter-
killed specimens from Maryland that I have examined are in brown
pelage. There is, however, one male from Gaithersburg, Montgomery
County, and another from Patuxent, Prince Georges County, in the
National collections that are entirely white except for the customary
black tail tip.
Male long-tailed weasels are strikingly larger than females. So
pronounced is this secondary sexual trait that some early writers
1 1
79- 76*
1 '
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1
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Mustela frenata noveboracensis
• Specimens examined J.
O Specimens reported
73- 76'
'/•
76*
BOM
Figure 49. — Distribution of Mustela frenata noveboracensis.
160 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
thought the two sexes must represent distinct species. Since the female
long-tailed weasel is so small, it is possible to mistake her for an er-
mine, and due allowance must be made for sex when separating these
species on the basis of size.
MeasureTnents. — External measurements of 12 adult males from
various parts of Maryland are: Total length 382 (340^29) ; tail 131.6
(110-155) ; hind foot 48 (34-^8), Seven females from various parts
of the State have the following external measurements. Total length
286.6 (253-315) ; tail 93.1 (80-122) ; hind foot 34 (32-38).
Cranial measurements of 10 adult males from Laurel, Prince
Georges County, are: Basilar length 42.7 (40.8-44.3); zygomatic
breadth 25.6 (23.5-27.3) ; interorbital breadth 9.8 (9.0-10.8) ; mas-
toidal breadth 22.4 (21.^24.0). Cranial measurements of three adult
females from Laurel are: Basilar length 36.1, 36.4, 36.5; zygomatic
breadth 21.5, 21.7, ; interorbital breadth 7.9, 9.1, 9.1; mastoidal
breadth 18.9, 19.0, 18.2.
Habitat and habits. — This weasel prefers bushy field borders, brush-
land, open woodland, and woodland bordering cultivated fields and
pastures. It is quite adaptable and willing to live in close proximity to
man as long as suitable prey is available. Recently, I found one dead on
a road in the middle of Kensington, Montgomery County, where the
only suitable habitat for some distance was the bushy area bordering a
railroad track that runs through the center of town. Uhler and Llewel-
lyn (1952, p. 81) report that during a study made at the Patuxent
Research Center in Prince Georges County, only four weasels were
taken in three trapping seasons. Of these, two were taken along hedge-
rows, one in upland forest, and one along the Patuxent River. In the
Bare Hills-Lake Roland area, Bures (1948, p. 66) thought these weasels
were quite rare at first. Subsequent investigation revealed, however,
that they were more common than he suspected, and that they range
throughout the area except for the marsh and Serpentine. He says that
they seem to use the railroad right-of-way as a natural highway regu-
larly; their mortality rate was high there, since an average of four
s,pecimens a year were recorded killed by passing trains. In an area as
small as that in which Bures was working, this is a high number of
weasels.
This species generally does not make its own burrow, but uses an
abandoned one of a chipmunk or mole. Sometimes it will utilize a hole
among rocks or under a stump. The nest center is usually filled with
grass and lined with fur and feathers from the weasel's prey.
Mating in this species occurs in July and August. The gestation
period is very prolonged, averaging about 279 days, but as in the
ermine, the embryo remains quiescent throughout most of this period
and only begins to develop rapidly during the last 27 days. The young.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 181
numbering between six and eight, are born from mid- April to mid-
May. Hamilton (1933b, p. 328) states that the male stays with the
female and assists in caring for the young. He says that he has several
times seen a male of this species carrying food to a den of young ones.
Like the ermine, the long-tailed weasel is strictly carnivorous in diet.
Hamilton (1933b, p. 333) lists the percentages of fall and winter food
of this species in New York State as follows: Meadow mice 33.6;
cottontail rabbits 17.3; white footed mice 11.3; rats 9.1; short-tailed
shrews 5.9; squirrels 2.7; chipmunks 1.0; star-nosed moles 0.8; musk-
rat 0.8. In addition to this, a small percentage of birds and reptiles is
consumed.
SpeclTnens examined. — Allegany County : Piney Mountain, 2 (Coll.
U. Md.). Anne Arundel County: Patuxent (2 miles S), 1. Howard
County : Hanover., 1 ; Long Corner, 1. Montgornery County: Bethesda,
1; Chevy Chase, 1; Foxhall Village (D.C.? not located in Maryland),
1 ; Gaithersburg, 1 ; Garrett Park, 1 ; Kensington, 1 ; Linden, 1 ; Olney,
1 ; Plummers Island, 3. Prince Georges County : Andrews Air Force
Base (near), 1; Bladensburg, 1; Branchville, 1; Laurel, 17; Oxen
Hill, 1. Talhot County : Easton, 1. District of Colunnbia: 8.
Other records and reports. — Baltiirvore County: Bare Hills-Lake
Roland area (Bures, 1948, p. 66) ; Halethorpe (Hampe, 1943, p. 66) ;
Loch Raven (Seibert, 1939, p. 21) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe,
1938, p. 6). Calvert County: Plum Point (identified from photograph
submitted by John F. Fales). Dorchester County: Cambridge (five
specimens in collection of R. W. Jackson, examined by Hall, 1951, p.
228). Garrett Comity : Grantsville (E A. Preble, in field notes, men-
tions seeing one, June 1899). Montgomery County: Sandy Spring
(Bailey, 1923, p. 126).
(LEAST WEASEL)
Mustela nivalis allegheniensis (Rhoads)
Putorius allegheniensis Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia,
52: 751, 25 March 1901.
Type locality. — ^Near Beallsville, Washington County, Pa.
General distribution. — From Wisconsin and northern Illinois eastward through
northern Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio into southwestern New York and Pennsyl-
vania, thence southward in the Appalachians to North Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — This species has not been recorded as
yet from Maryland, but it has been taken in nearby Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, and Virginia, and probably ranges through the Al-
legheny Mountain section of Maryland and possibly in the Ridge
and Valley section as well.
Distingmshing characteristics. — A very small weasel, similar to
both M. frenata and M. ermin^n in coloration and general form, but
152 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
considerably smaller than either. It may readily be distinguished from
both these species by its very short tail and the complete lack of a
black tail tip.
Measurements. — "Male : An adult or subadult from Fair Oaks, Pa.,
a subadult from Finleyville, Pa., and an adult from Huttonsville,
W. Va., measure respectively as follows: Total length, 206, 194, 191
(average 197) ; length of tail, 37, 32, 28 (32) ; length of hind foot, 23 in
each.
"Female: Two young from Leasuresville, Pa., and Middle Paxton
Twp., Pa., measure respectively, as follows: total length, 188, 172;
length of tail, 33, 30; length of hind foot, 20.5, 21." (Hall, 1951, p.
187-188.)
Some of the cranial measurements listed by Hall (1951, p. 440^41)
of an adult male from Huttonsville, W. Va., and an adult female from
Beallsville, Pa., are Basilar length (of Hensel) 28.5, 28.0, zygomatic
breadth 16.7, 14.6 ; interorbital breadth 7.1, 6.2 ; mastoidal breadth 15.1,
13.5.
Habitat and habits. — This species inhabits both the deep forests
and the fields and pastures within its range. It is a rare mammal how-
ever, and is seldom encountered.
Little is known of its habits. Hamilton (1943, p. 139) says that nests
have been found beneath corn shocks, in shallow burrows bordering
streams, and in similar places. The few nests that have been dis-
covered were composed of grasses and mouse fur. Hamilton states that
the breeding habits of this species apparently differ from those of its
larger relatives. He says that young with unopened eyes have been
discovered in midwinter, while nest young and lactating females have
been found in Pennsylvania during October, January, and February.
These litters numbered from three to six young. The female parent was
always in attendance. From this he says that the young are probably
bom at various seasons and there is a likelihood of more than one litter
a year.
Hall (1951, p. 177) says that food of the least weasel consists of
harvest mice, deer mice, meadow mice, red-backed mice, and possibly
insects.
MINK
Mustela vison mink Peale and Palisot de Beauvois
Mustela mink Peale and Palisot de Beauvois. A scientific and descrip-
tive catalogue of Peal's museum, Philadelphia, p. 39, 1796.
Type locality. — Maryland.
General (listrlbution. — Eastern United States from southeastern Maine, south
to coastal North Carolina, and inland (excepting the higher elevations of the
Appalachians) through Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama to
Missouri.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 153
Mustela vison
Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 50. — Distribution of Mustela vison.
Distribution in Maryland. — The species is Statewide in distribution ;
the subspecies mink occurs throughout most of Maryland, but may be
replaced by the race vison at higher elevations in the Allegheny Moun-
tain section. This very dark northern race, vison., has been reported in
the Appalachians to the south of Maryland (Kellogg, 1939, p. 262),
but the only specimen available from the Allegheny Mountain section
of Maryland is a zoo animal and its subspecific affinities are indeter-
minable.
Distinguishing characteristics. — A very large weasel, with a fairly
long, bushy tail ; coloration dark glossy brown over entire body, except
for a whitish chin spot and an occasional white streak on the neck or
white spot on the chest or belly ; pelage thick and dense, adapted for an
aquatic life.
The mink may distinguished from the long-tailed weasel by its
larger size, and absence of a white belly. It is similar to an otter in
coloration, but is smaller and does not have a broad-based tail.
Measurements. — Males considerably larger than females. A typical
adult male and female from Montgomery County have the following
external and cranial measurements: Total length 650, 547; tail 225,
193, hind foot 70, 54; basilar length 62.4, 56.0; zygomatic breadth 42.1,
36.3; interorbital breadth 12.9, 13.7; mastoidal breadth 34.4, 30.5.
Habitat and habits. — The mink always lives near water. It is found
around lakes, in or near marshes, and along the banks of rivers or
15* NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
streams. It prefers forested, log-strewn, and bushy areas. At the
Patuxent Wildlife Eesearch Center near Laurel, Prince Georges
County, Uhler and Llewellyn (1952, p. 84) found them along lake
margins, by a small stream, and along the Patuxent River. Bailey
(1923, p. 125) reported that in the early 1920's they were fairly com-
mon along the banks of almost any stream in Washington, D.C., and
that they followed Rock Creek well down into the city. Today, owing
to stream pollution and other factors few, if any, mink occur along
Rock Creek in Washington.
Mink make their home under large trees which line banks of streams
along which they live. They also inhabit muskrat lodges or natural
cavities along the banks of streams, rivers, lakes, or marshes. Males
and females build separate nests, but females build more elaborate
ones, lining them with grass, feathers, and fur to make a snug home
for the young.
The breeding season for mink begins in January and extends
through March ; the gestation period is variable, from 39 to 76 days,
depending on when mating has occurred; the later the mating, the
shorter the gestation period. Three to six young are born in April or
May, but as many as 10 have been reported.
Mink range over a wide area to procure their food, which consists
of any reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds obtainable. In
areas where muskrat abound, such as the muskrat marshes of the
Delmarva Peninsula, mink may feed extensively on them. Llewellyn
and Uhler (1952, p. 199), in studies conducted at the Patuxent Re-
search Center, report that it is usually difficult to get food-habits
material from trapped mink since their digestion is so rapid. They
state that frequently stomachs of the animals studied were empty, and
only digested blood was found in the intestines. They were only able
to obtain six stomachs and four scats suitable for tabulation. In none
of these was there any plant food except for a few poison-ivy seeds
which were found in a stomach that, contained flicker remains. Pre-
sumably the bird had eaten these seeds before being captured by
the mink. One mink sample in March and another in December con-
tained rabbit hair only. Five other winter samples had 100 percent
rodent remains consisting of one meadow mouse, three pine mice, and
one "wood" mouse. In the two additional stomachs examined by
Llewellyn and Uhler, one contained flicker remains and the other
had a beetle fragment.
The mink sometimes does considerable damage to poultry. Bailey
(1923, p. 125) says that he was told of a mink in the Washington area
that visited a henhouse and killed 22 chickens in one night and returned
the next night to kill 16 more. The following night, as the mink was
returning to the henhouse again, it was caught by a dog.
MAMMALS OF MARYLANiD 165
Despite the great number being bred in captivity, wild-caught mink
are still in some demand for their fur, and each year many are trapped
throughout the country. Maryland does not rank high in wild mink
production. In 1966, only 303 mink were reported trapped in the State
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fur Catch in the United States, 1966,
Wildlife Leaflet 478). The high point in mink trapping in Maryland
over the past decade was reached during the 1950-51 season when
4,370 animals were taken (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fur
Catch in the United States, 1949-54, Wildlife Leaflet 367) for their
pelage.
Specimens examined. — Anne Arundel County: Little Patuxent
River, 1. Dorchester County: Bloodsworth Island, 1. Garrett County:
Oakland (through National Zoological Park) , 1. Montgomery County :
Bethesda, 1 ; Cabin John, 2 ; Forest Glen, 2 ; Garrett Park, 1 ; Potomac,
1; Sligo Creek (near Takoma Park), 1; no exact locality, 2. Prince
Georges County: Bladensburg, 1; Branchville, 2; College Park, 1;
Lanham, 1 ; Laurel, 44 ; no exact locality, 1.
Other records and reports. — Montgomery County: Plummers Is-
land (Goldman and Jaxjkson, 1939 : 132) . Prince Georges County: Col-
lege Station, 8 miles NE of Washington; Patuxent Research Center.
(Uhler and Llewellyn, 1952, p. 84) .
STRIPED SKUNK
Mephitis mephitis nigra (Peale and Pallsot de Beauvois)
Viverra nigra Peale and Palisot de Beauvois, A scientific and descrip-
tive catalogue of Peale's museum, Philadelphia, p. 37, 1796.
Type locality. — Maryland.
General distribution. — New England and southern Ontario south to Virginia,
and west of the Allegheny Mountains from the lower peninsula of Michigati and
southern Illinois south to central Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
Distribution in Maryland. — Distributed throughout the State, but
most abundant in the Allegheny Mountain, Ridge and Valley, and
Piedmont sections; scarce or lacking in many areas of the Eastern
Shore section. According to the Service Survey (U.S. Fish and Wild-
life Service, vol. 3(4), p. 15, December 1943), with the breaking up of
the former dense forest cover the striped skunk seems to be slowly
making its way southward along the Delmarva Peninsula into Dor-
chester County from Talbot County.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 1/2, = 34;
size large; body heavy, particularly rearward; tail very thick and
bushy; legs short; pelage dense and coarse; coloration black with a
thin white stripe medially on the nose, and two white stripes running
from head to tail. The amount of white on the striped skunk is subject
156
NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Mephitis mephitis mgra
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
FiGUBE 51. — Distribution of Mephitis mephitis nigra.
to considerable individual variation. Some animals are almost comp-
letely black, while others are predominately white on the back.
This species cannot be confused with any other Maryland mammal
except possibly the spotted skunk {Sjniogale) ^ from which it differs
in larger size and in having two rather than four white dorsal stripes.
In Mephitis the nose patch is always a slender stripe, whereas in
Spilogdls it is a broad triangular patch.
Measurements. — Two adult males and two adult females from Cabin
John, Montgomery County, have the following external and cranial
measurements: Total length 597, 648, 568, 648; tail 228, 260, 235, 270;
hind foot 64, 70, 57, 67; basilar length of skull 61.5, 60.5, 55.0, 60.0;
zygomatic breadth 43.2, 46.7, 41.4, 41.9 ; least interorbital breadth 18.8,
19.6, 19.2, 18.1 ; maxillary toothrow 21.3, 20.7,20.2, 20.5.
Habitat and habits. — This skunk is found in brushland, sparse woods
weedy fields or pastures, under wood piles and rock piles, and around
buildings. It is most common along brushy borders of streams and in
rock piles and thickets at the base of cliffs.
The striped skunk makes its home in a burrow which it may dig in
a brushy area or pasture, or it may occupy the burrow of some other
animal such as a woodchuck. Occasionally the den may be in a cave
or under a log or stump. Burrows average between 18 and 20 feet long
and may reach to a depth of 3 to 4 feet below the surface of the ground.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 157
The nest within the burrow is a somewhat wider area lined with dry
leaves and grass.
The striped skunk is polygamous, and mating occurs from Febru-
ary until March, with the young being born in May or June. Only one
litter is produced annually, and between two and 10 (usually six or
seven) kits comprise a litter. The gestation period is 60 to 62 days.
Llewellyn and Uhler (1952, p. 200) studied the food habits of skunks
at the Patuxent Wildlife Kesearch Center, Prince Georges County.
The results of their examination of 63 digestive tracts and 33 scats
mostly taken in fall and winter are summarized as follows:
Plant material comprised some 10 percent of the food intake. The
only plant item found regularly in the stomach was persimmon, which
accounted for about 7 percent. Also occasionally found were beechnuts,
acorns, corn, wheat, pokeberry, blackgum, smilax, and a few other
fruits and berries ; some of this plant material was apparently garbage.
Animal matter comprised between 80 percent and 90 percent of the
food intake; insects formed almost half of the total and were most
prominent in the fall. About 20 percent of the insects consumed con-
sisted of beetles, with scarabs such as June beetles (mostly larvae) and
Japanese beetles (mostly adults) leading the list. Ground beetles were
also found frequently. The next highest group (11 percent) was made
up of grasshoppers and crickets. A large number (5 percent) of true
bugs, chiefly stink bugs, were eaten. In later summer and fall, it was
evident that in several instances the skunks had dug out yellow-jacket
nests and eaten the occupants. Lamore (1953, p. 80) reports that he
found a striped skunk dead on the highway near Beltsville, Prince
Georges County, in August 1962. The animal's stomach was filled with
yellow jackets.
Rodents, chiefly wood mice, meadow mice, and squirrels, comprised
15 percent of the diet; eight occurrences of rabbit totaled 5 percent.
Llewellyn and Uhler (1952, p. 200) believe that the squirrels and rab-
bits were probably road kills, carrion, or hunting cripples, although
remains of rabbits that could have been nestlings were found in two
scats. Birds were found in 14 stomachs or scats and made up 7 percent
of the volume. One box turtle, one king snake, and several undeter-
mined snakes and salamanders were also found. Millipedes vere found
frequently in fall and winter and often made up entire meals. Spiders
also appeared often, and centipedes occasionally, but their remains
consisted mostly of legs, so that their volume constituted a small per-
centage of the total.
This skunk, like its s^wtted relative, possesses a powerful scent as
a defense mechanism. The fluid which contains the scent can be ejected
for a considerable distance, and if it should strike one's eye it will
cause burning and smarting. Burning can be relieved by washing
336-897 0—69 11
158 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
the eye in lukewarm water, followed by flushing with boric acid.
Turpentine is useful for removing skunk odor from clothing and
from skin, and tomato juice is also effective.
Skunk fur is commercially valuable, and in the 1965-66 trapping
season, 161 striped skunks were reported taken in Maryland by fur
trappers (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fur Catch in the United
States, 1966, Wildlife Leaflet 478).
Specvmens examined. — Allegany County: Mount Savage, 1 (Ck)ll.
U. Md.). Frederick County: Jefferson, 1. Montgomery County: Cabin
John, 4; Forest Glen, 1; Silver Spring, 1. Prince Georges County:
Laurel, 6; Patuxent Research Center, 2. Washington County:
Boonesboro,l.
Other records amd reports. — Baltimore County: Bare Hills-Lake
Eoland area (Bures, 1948, p. 66) ; Loch Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Pa-
tapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 6). Dorchester County: Black-
water National Wildlife Refuge (Service Survey, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 3(4), p. 15, December 1943). Garrett County:
Cranesville Pine Swamp (Mansueti, 1958, p. 83). Montgomery
County: Plummers Island (Goldman and Jackson, 1939, p. 132).
Prince Georges County: Beltsville, near (Lamore, 1953, p. 80).
EASTERN SPOTTED SKUNK
Spilogale putorius putorius (Linnaeus)
[Viverra'] putorius Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 44, 1758.
Type ToGdlity. — ^^South Carolina.
General distribution. — "Southeastern United States from Alabama, Missis-
sippi, and northern Florida northward through western and central GTeorgia
and South Carolina and northward in the Appalachian Mountains to south-
central Pennsylvania." (Van Gelder, 1959, p. 225).
Distribution in Maryland. — Ridge and Valley and Allegheny
Mountain sections.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 1/2, = 34; size
small; coloration striking, the background being black, striped with
four white dorsal stripes which run about to the middle of the back, the
center ones being somewhat narrower than the outer ; stripes breaking
up into patches on the hind quarters, giving the skunk a spotted
appearance; broad triangular white patch on nose and forehead; small
white patch in front of ears; tail long and full, broadly tipped with
white.
This skunk is readily distinguished from the striped skunk (Mephi-
tis mephitis) by the patterning of its coloration. Spilogale has four
white stripes on the body whereas Mephitis has two (these may be
highly variable, however, in length and breadth). Spilogale has a
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
159
79* 76-
1 '
7f>'
\
7\
-39°- SCALE
O lO 20 30MILES
/ry, i
ji^^
V- ^r
Spilogale putorius putorius
# Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Pi
80M
Figure 52. — Distribution of Spilogale putorius putorius.
broad triangular white nose patch, while Mephitis has only a thin
white stripe medially on the nose. The spotted skunk is considerably
the smaller species.
Measurements. — Van Gelder (1959, p. 255) gives external and some
cranial measurements of this subspecies as follows: Males: Total
length 506.6 (453-610) ; tail 180.9 (152-211) ; hind foot 47.8 (41-51) ;
condylobasal length of skull 57.2 (53.6-61.9) ; zygomatic breadth
35.3 (32.5-37.8); interorbital breadth 15.5 (13.5-16.9); length of
maxillary toothrow 18.4 ( 17.0-20.5) . Females : Total length 450.7 (403-
470); tail 171.9 (154-193); hind foot 44.0 (39-47); basilar length
of skull 47.6 (45.0-50.0) ; zygomatic breadth 33.2 (31.8-34.8) ; inter-
orbital breath 15.0 (13.5-15.9) ; length of maxillary toothrow 17.7
(16.6-18.6).
A male from Piney Mountain, one-quarter mile north of U.S. Route
40 at Clarysville, Allegany County, has the following external and
cranial measurements : Total length 425 ; tail 155 ; hind foot 45 ; ear
13 ; condylobasal length of skull 55.1 ; zygomatic breadth 34.1 ; inter-
orbital breadth 14.8 ; length of maxillary toothrow 17.7.
Habitat and habits. — In the northern part of its range this species
prefers to live in rock piles and crevices in cliffs. In more southern areas
of the southeastern United States it often inhabits wasteland and
cultivated fields and sometimes build its nest under farm buildings
or lives in deserted woodchuck burrows. All of the areas in which
100 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
spotted skunks have been taken or observed in Maryland are similar.
They are at or near the summits of mountains at altitudes above 1,600
feet. They are characterized by rocky outcrops which run parallel to
the summits and which may be several hundred feet in length. The
vegetation consists of second-growth oaks (Quercus spp.) and hickor-
ies {Carya spp.), with black locust (Rohinia pseudocacia) , Virginia
pine (Pinus virginiana) , and dense tangles of wild grape ( Vitis spp.)
occasionally present (Bookhout, 1964, p. 214) .
Little is known of the breeding habits of the spotted skunk. Van
Gelder (1959, p. 260^270) says that there is evidence that tliis sub-
species has an extended breeding period, or that two litters a year
might be produced since there are records of females nursing in both
the spring and fall. There are between two and six young, with the
usual number being four or five.
According to Hamilton (1943, p. 159) the food of this species during
the winter months consists largely of rabbits, mice, and other small
mammals; during the summer and fall it fattens on fruits, insects,
and birds. Lizards, small snakes, and offal are not disdained, and
the spotted skunk will steal eggs and kill chicks. It is fond of persim-
mons and various other fruits in season.
This skunk possesses a means of defense consisting of a characteristic
evil-smelling fluid which is secreted by two anal glands. This fluid, or
musk as it is sometimes called, can be ejected accurately up to several
feet in the direction of aJttackers. It is more overpowering, blinding,
and burning than that of Mephitis^ land there are few animals that are
not repulsed by it.
Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Piney Mountain, i/4 inil®
N of U.S. Ex)ute 40, at Clarysville, 1 (specimen taken 10 February
1964). GaiTett County: Locklynn Heights, 1 (specimen taken in mid-
January 1963).
Other records and reports. — Latham and Studholme (1947, p. 409)
report a specimen from 4 miles west of Hancock, Washington County.
James H. Beal, of Frostburg, tells me (in correspondence) that he col-
lected a specimen on Town Hill (Mountain), Allegany County, near
the beacon light in August 1962, and another near the same locality in
1959. The following records are from Bookhout (1964, p. 214) : Green
Ridge Mountain (elevation 1,400 ft.), Allegany Comity (one animal
seen in December 1957) ; and Dan's Mountain (elevation 1,600 ft.),
Allegany County (four specimens trapped since 1960) .
Remarks. — The spotted skunk is essentially a southern species and
has apparently extended its range into Maryland and Pemisylvania
only within recent years. The first record of a spotted skunk in Penn-
sylvania was as recent as 40 years ago (Latham and Studholme, 1947,
MAMMALS OF MABYLANiD
161
p. 409) despite the fact that trappers, hunters, and collectors have been
working in the Maryland and Pennsylvania mountains since Colonial
times.
RIVER OTTER
Lutra canadensis lataxina F. Cuvier
Lutra lataxina F. Cuvier, in Dictionnaire des sciences naturelle . . .
27:242,1823.
Type locality. — South Carolina.
General distribution.— Constsd Plain and Piedmont of the eastern United States,
from western Connecticut and southern New York, south to South Carolina.
Distribution in Maryland. — ^The species is statewide in distribution.
The subspecies lataxina inhabits the Eastern Shore, Western Shore,
and Piedmont sections, but may be replaced by Lutra canadensis cana-
densis in the Ridge and Valley and Allegheny Mountain sections where
it is scarce or possibly absent (Bookhout, in correspondence) . No speci-
mens are available to establish the subspecific identtity of the western
Maryland otters (if they occur there), but since L. c. canadensis has
been reported from the mountains of Virginia to the south (Handley
and Patton, 1947, p. 133) and West. Virginia to the west (Kellogg,
1937, p. 453), western Maryland specimens, if and when obtained,
proba;bly will prove referable to L. c. canadensis.
1
7e'
77-
7fc-
7
i
P
W/////M^y/M//
y/M/Z/M
wMA
1
^1
-39'-
SCALE
O lO 20 30MILES
1
^^'i[v///v//riA
-SS"-
Lutra aanadensis
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
s^
w^^m^
W/y^/M
-3B'-
^^^
"V
7% ^ ^riJi'xE//^
1
1
7S*
1
7 7-
1
76"
aoM
Figure 53. — Distribution of Lutra canadensis.
162 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/3, 1/2, = 36; size
large; body slender and elongated; head small, broad, and flattened;
ears and eyes small and rounded; nose broad and flat; tail long, about
a third of the total length of the animal, very heavy at the base and
tapering toward the tip; legs very short, ending in large feet with
webbed toes; pelage consisting of a dense underfur overlaid with silky
guard hairs; coloration a rich deep brown, generally somewhat paler
on the belly and often with a grayish mixture on the lips, chin, and
throat. The subspecies L. c. canadensis is similar to the above but
considerably darker in coloration.
The combination of large size, flat, broad head, thick, heavy tail, and
webbed toes distinguish the otter from similar mammals in Maryland.
Measurements. — No external measurements are available for the
Maryland and District of Columbia specimens in the National collec-
tions. Handley and I'atton (1947, p. 134) give the range of external
measurements in otters as follows: Total length 900-1,200; tail 300-
400; hind foot 100-120.
A young male from Glen Echo, Montgomery County, and an un-
sexed (but apparently a male) old adult from Washington, D.C., have
the following cranial measurements: Basilar length 95.8, 101.6; zygo-
matic breadth 65.3, ; postorbital breadth 19.1, 20.7; mastoidal
breadth 62.9, 66.7 ; length of maxillary toothrow 35.2, 38.8. Two un-
sexed (but apparently female) adults from Washington, D.C., measure
cranially : Basilar length 87.5, 90.6 ; zygomatic breadth 64.3, ; post-
orbital breadth 17.2, 19.2; mastoidal breadth 56.7, 59.9; length of
maxillary toothrow 32.9, 34.2.
Habitat and habits. — The otter occurs along rivers, streams, and
lakes, and it appears to be quite common in the marshes that border the
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It occurs on Assateague
Island, where Jacob Valentine, former manager of the Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge, told me that as many as seven were living
in 1958. Most of these, however, were in the Virginia portion of the
island, on the Refuge.
Maryland's Eastern Shore supports a large population of otter.
Audubon and Bachman (1851, p. 11) and Coues (1877, p. 211) re-
ported them as common there in the 19th century. Brayton (1882,
p. 58) says that the Eastern Shore of Maryland appears to have always
been a favorite resort of the otter. Another area where this species is
abundant is on the Proving Grounds near Edgewood Arsenal, Harford
County.
Otters were at one time relatively common along the Potomac River
and its tributaries in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., and have often
been reported from the city proper. Bailey (1923, p. 125) records an
otter at the north end of Rock Creek Park in 1920 and one taken at
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 163
Eastern Branch near Bennings in 1895. In neai^by Maryland he reports
that otter tracks were seen on Plummers Island in 1910 and 1922, and
that one was observed swimming across the Potomac River near Seneca
in April 1920. Otters still are not uncommon along the Potomac River
both to the north and south of Washington. L. G. Henbest observed
one swimming in the Potomac near Great Palls in late January and
February 1964 and obtained a photograph of the animal when it
climbed out onto a rock on the Maryland side of the river.
The otter may be active any time of the day or night, but tends to
be more nocturnal than diurnal. Even though it may be common, it is
seldom seen by the casual observer because it is shy and spends much of
its time in water. These animals are powerful and graceful swimmers
and dive with ease and agility. When swimming on the surface it holds
its head high out of the water and both the forelegs and hind limbs
are directed backward, progression being made primarily by twisting
and moving the body and tail. The otter can reach a speed of 6 or 7
miles an hour on the surface, and nearly as great a speed when
submerged.
The otter inhabits a well hidden den along the bank of the stream
or river in which it lives. According to Liers (1951, p. 4) these animals
seldom dig their own dens, but utilize abandoned beaver lodges or
wood-chuck or muskrat burrows, enlarging them to suit their needs.
Often these dens are simply short tunnels, but sometimes they may be
extensive and complicated. The main entrance is always under water.
In marshes, the otter may prepare a nest from dry marsh grasses.
Nothing has been published concerning the breeding habits of otters
in Maryland. Liers (1951, p. 4) studied them in Minnesota under
semiwild conditions and reports that otters breed there in winter and
early spring. He found the gestation period to vary from 9 months 18
days to 12 months 15 days. Only one litter is produced a year, com-
prising generally two to four young. The male is allowed to rejoin
the family group after the young have left the nest, and he assists the
female in teaching them to swim and hunt for food.
The otter eats a variety of foods, but is primarily carnivorous,
consuming crayfish, frogs, turtles, larvae of aquatic insects, angle-
worms, and fish (Liers, 1951, p. 1). Jackson (1961, p. 388) says that
the otter rarely eats muskrat, young beaver, or duck, and that the parts
of land vertebrates occasionally found among its remains probably
were eaten as carrion. On Assateague Island the otters appeared to
be feeding largely on jumping mullet {Mugil cephalus) .
Otter fur is currently commanding good prices on the market, being
durable, soft, and dense. During the 1965-66 trapping season, 495 wild
otters were trapped in Maryland for the fur market (U.S. Fish and
164 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Wildlife Service, Fur Catch in the United States, 1966, Wildlife
Leaflet 478).
Specimens examined. — Montgomery County: Glen Echo, 1. District
of Cohimhia : 3.
Other records and reports. — Calvert County : Chesapeake Bay, near
Stoakley (LeCompte, 1937: 15). Garrett County. Deep Creek Lake
(Browning, 1928, p. 213). Harford County: Edgewood Arsenal area
(personal observation). Montgomery County: Great Falls (identified
from photograph taken by L. G. Henbest, February 1964) . Washing-
ton County: near Leitersburg (Washington, D.C., Herald, 7 January
1909). Worcester County: Assateague Island (personal observation).
Family FELIDAE (cats)
BOBCAT
Lynx rufus rufus (Schreber)
Felis rufa Schreber, Die Saugthiere . . . , Thiel 3, Heft 95, pi. 109b,
1777.
Type locality. — New York.
General distribution. — In the eastern United States, this race formerly oc-
curred from central New England south to northern Georgia, and west into the
Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma. It is now absent or rare in the Coastal
Plain in the southern portion of its range except in Virginia's Dismal Swamp.
Distribution in Maryland. — Formerly statewide in distribution, but
now confined primarily to the Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and
Valley sections. It has been entirely exterminated in the Eastern Shore
section and is only rarely encountered in the Western Shore and Pied-
mont sections.
This species is uncommon enough in Maryland to produce local
newspaper accounts when one is taken.
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 2/2, 1/1, = 28;
general appearance catlike, but considerably larger than a domestic
cat, averaging about twice as much in size and weight; body short;
ears prominent and with small conspicuous tufts on the tips; eyes
large and with eliptical pupils; taU very short, less than a fourth of the
total length of the animal; pelage fairly long and loose; coloration of
upperparts grayish to brownish, darker along the midUne, and spotted
and blotched throughout; abdomen and inner sides of legs white,
prominently marked with black spots; taU always tipped with black.
The only Maryland mammal with which the bobcat may be con-
fused is the domestic cat, from which it is readily distinguished by
its larger size and short black-tipped tail.
Measurements. — No external measurements are available for Mary-
land or District of Columbia specimens in the National collections.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
165
Lynx mfus pufus
• Specimens examined
O Specimens reported
Figure 54. — Distribution of Lynx rufus rufus.
Kellogg (1937, p. 457) gives external measurements of 11 adult males
from West Virginia as follows: Total length 870 (787-935) ; tail 146
(133-165) ; hind foot 171 (162-195). According to Jackson (1961, p.
402) the male bobcat averages about 10 percent longer than the female
and weighs about 30 percent more.
A female from near Fort Washington, Prince Georges County, has
the following cranial measurements : Greatest length 128.0 ; zygomatic
breadth 83.7; interorbital breadth 23.2; maxillary toothrow 40.4.
Habitat and habits. — Bobcats prefer wild heavily wooded or brushy
areas, particularly in rocky habitats and swamps. In Maryland the
animal is still fairly numerous in the wilder areas of the Allegheny
Mountain and Eidge and Valley sections, but is very scarce in the
rest of the State. No specimens have been taken in the Eastern Shore
section for many years, and presumably the animal is extirpated there.
According to Mansueti (1950, p. 21) the species has been ruthlessly
exterminated in Maryland as "vermin," and is everywhere much scarcer
than in the past.
Mansueti ( 1950, pp. 22-23 ) has gathered together a number of bob-
cat records in Maryland. He says that Meshach Browning is reported
to have killed scores of bobcats in the early 19th century, and that
they were an everyday occurrence in Garrett County then. Marye
(1945) says that a generation ago bobcats were destructive to sheep
near the Falls of the Patapasco River, and that in his time they were
166 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
occasionally killed in Baltimore County. He reports that in the 1920's
he saw a large bobcat in Day's woods, between the Great and Little
Falls of the Gunpowder River. He also cites some notes relative to
the bobcat on the Eastern Shore and says that about 2 decades ago
(also in the 1920's), a wild animal of the cat family was treed by dogs
on the borders of the Nassawango Swamp, near Nassawango Bridge
in Worcester County. The animal escaped and Marye doubts that any
domestic cat could have done so under the circumstances imposed.
Mansueti (1950, p. 22) quotes an article from the Baltimore Evening
Sun (18 February 1948) entitled "Bobcats Still Here," which says that
Thomas Leary, hunter of Beans Cover, Allegany County, trapped a
bobcat in 1948 on Evitts Mountain in Allegany County and the news-
paper published a photograph of the animal, thus substantiating the
capture.
Mansueti (1950, p. 23) says that John Hamlet, formerly with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told him that a few years ago (1945
or 1946) a bobcat was known to be roaming the Cypress Swamp region
of Calvert County, and Watson Perrygo of the Division of Mammals,
U.S. National Museum, tells me that bobcats are presently residing
in wild areas on his property near Port Tobacco in Charles County.
Several interesting specimens of bobcats from Maryland and the
District of Columbia are in the collections of the U.S. National Mu-
seum. One of these, a young female, was shot along with five others
in a swamp near Oxon Hill, Prince Georges County, in 1941 when
the swamp was being razed for a housing development. Another (an
old female) was found dead in December 1958 on the curb of a down-
town Washington Street, not far from Rock Creek Park. The animal
was not examined for bullet wounds but probably was shot in the
mountains west of Washington and then dumped from an auto onto
the Washington Street, although it is remotely possible that it had
wandered naturally into downtown Washington via Rock Creek Park.
Bailey (1923, p. 121) lists several bobcat records from nearby Virginia.
The Maryland Conservationist (27(1), pp. 9, 28, Spring 1950) re-
cords the capture of a particularly large bobcat in Maryland. On Labor
Day of 1949, Frank Wigfield killed the animal on Iron Mountain,
about 5 miles east of Cumberland, Allegany County. It weighed 43
pounds and measured 53 inches from tip to tip.
The bobcat is shy and retiring, and primarily solitary in its habits.
It is almost entirely nocturnal and is seldom abroad in daylight. Gen-
erally, it seeks shelter under shrubs or in rock crevices, but some-
times it dens in hollows trees, stumps, or logs. The den is lined with
grasses, leaves, moss, and other vegetation, which are scraped and
scratched into a nest.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 167
Mating in this species occurs in February or March ; the gestation
period is about 50 days, and between one and four kittens are born,
usually in April. At birth the young are blind ; the eyes open after
about 9 or 10 days. Although weaned when 60 to 70 days old, the young
continue with the mother until autumn or sometimes late winter.
The food of the bobcat is entirely animal in nature, and consists to a
large extent of rabbits as well as squirrels, mice, muskrats, and various
kinds of birds. Bobcats often feed on deer; fawns are especially vul-
nerable prey, and no doubt deer carrion is often consumed. Domestic
livestock, mainly calves and sheep but also occasionally poultry, are
also eaten.
Mansueti (1950, p. 23) says that the bobcat is undoubtedly vanish-
ing in Maryland, but its wary and secretive habits will insure its per-
manence in some of the more isolated portions of the State.
Specimens exarmned. — Prince Georges County: Fort Washington,
near, 1 ; Oxon Hill, 1. District of Colurnbia: 1.
Other records and reports. — Anne Anmdel County: Annapolis, 3
miles NW near Severn River (John C. Lingebach, in verbis) . Allegany
County: Evitts Mountain (Mansueti, 1950: 22) ; Iron Mountain (Md.
Conservationist, 27(1), pp. 9, 28, Spring 1950). Baltimore County:
Day's Woods between the Great and Little Falls of the Gunpowder
River (Mansueti, 1950, p. 22). Calvert County: Cypress Swamp along
Battle Creek (Mansueti, 1950, p. 23). Charles County: near Port To-
bacco (W. M. Perry go, in verbis). Howard County: Falls of the
Patapsco River (Mansueti, 1950, p. 22). Prince Georges County:
Patuxent River, near Upper Marlboro (Bailey, 1923, p. 121).
Worcester Cou/nty: Nassawango Swamp, near Nassawango Bridge
(Mansueti, 1950, p. 22).
Order ARTIODACTYLA (even-toed hoofed mammals)
Family CERVIDAE (deer)
SIKA DEER
Cervus nippon Temminck
Cervv^ nippon Temminck, Coup d'oeil sur la f aune des iles de la Sonde
et de I'empire du Japon, xxii, 1838.
Type locality. — Japan.
General distribution, — Native to Japan, eastern China, Korea, and Manchuria.
Introduced into England, New Zealand, Denmark, France, Austria, Russia,
and the United States.
Distribution in Maryland. — James Island, Taylors Island, and ad-
jacent mainland in Dorchester County, and Assateague Island
Worcester County.
168 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 0/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3, = 34; size
small; coloration brownish olive or reddish olive with the middorsal
area somewhat darker and forming an indistinct dark line from the
forehead to the rump; underparts somewhat lighter; dorsum, parti-
cularly posteriorly, faintly speckled with indistinct white blotches in
both young and adults, the white blotches being more noticeable in
summer than winter; prominent white rump patch vnih. semierectile
hairs; antlers in male narrow, seldom having over three points and
standing erect over head.
This species is distinguishable from the white-tailed deer by a num-
ber of easily recognizable characters. It is considerably smaller, aver-
aging a third less in weight; has speckled pelage in young and old of
both sexes ; has narrower antlers that stand erect above the head, rather
than curAdng forward over head ; and possesses a small canine tooth in
both sides of upper jaw.
Measurements. — No external measurements are available for any of
the Maryland specimens. The species ranges in shoulder height from
32 to 43 inches (Tate, 1947, pp. 341-342) .
Cranial measurements of an adult male from James Island, Dor-
chester County, are : Greatest length 231 ; zygomatic breadth 97.1 ; in-
terorbital breadth 69.3; maxillary toothrow 68.6. Cranial measure-
ments for two adult females from James Island are as follows : Great-
est length 220, 224, zygomatic breadth 91.3, 93.4; interorbital breadth
53.0, 60.0; maxillary toothrow 62.5, 65.9.
Habitat and habits. — In its natural range, this species prefers hilly
regions with mixed large-leafed forests. It does best in areas which are
not subject to heavy snowfall (Flerov, 1952, p. 128) .
In Maryland, it has been introduced on Assateague Island, and on
James Island, from which it has spread to neighboring Taylors Island
and the adjacent Dorchester County mainland. According to Flyger
(1960a), four or five sika deer were released on James Island about
1916 by Clemment Henry, who had kept them in an enclosure near
Cambridge for an unknown period before releasing them on the island.
They multiplied on James Island and spread to nearby Taylors Island,
and eventually to the mainland. Flyger and Warren (1958) estimated
that in the fall of 1957, 270 sika deer inhabited James Island. Kegard-
ing their introduction to Assateague Island, Flyger (1960a) says that
Charles Law of Berlin, Md., stated that he purchased five sika deer
(two males and three females) from a man in Cambridge in 1920.
These deer were held in an enclosure near Berlin for several years,
during which time three young were born and one of the original males
died. Dr. Law sold these deer to a man who in turn released them on
Assateague Island where they have prospered and grown into a herd
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 160
of over a thousand animals (Flyger, 1964, p. 213), Most of these, how-
ever, are located in the southern portion of the island in Virginia.
Sika deer can be hunted in Maryland during the regular deer hunt-
ing season, and nearly every year a few have been taken in Dorchester
County. However, these deer are wilder and more timid than native
white-tailed deer, and are more difficult to stalk. Because they are
primarily nocturnal in habits many local people are even unaware of
their existence in their neighborhood.
The sika deer has been introduced into various European countries,
some of which are not pleased with the species since it is too secretive
and wild to be a satisfactory game animal, and has a propensity for
peeling bark from trees and competing with other species of deer for
food (Flyger, 1959, p. 24). Whether it is a potential boon or threat
to sportsmen in Maryland is still uncertain.
Little is known of the biology of this species in Maryland. In the
Soviet Union where the animal has been widely introduced, Flerov
(1952, pp. 128-129) reports that they are gregarious and that during
certain periods their herds consist of many dozens of animals. Rutting
begins in September and lasts for li/^ to 2 months. Rutting takes a very
stormy course and is accompanied by roaring and terrific battles. After
the rut, the males gather together in herds and remain apart from the
females during the entire winter. Females with 2- or 3-year-old young
also gather in separate groups just prior to winter. Calving occurs
toward the end of May or June, generally one fawn, but occasionally
twins, being produced.
These deer swim readily and sometimes will cross large bodies of salt
water. Their food in Maryland is probably similar to that of the white-
tailed deer, and it is feared that in areas where the sika deer becomes
well established the native white-tailed species will not be able to com-
pete for the available food supply.
Specimens exaTnined. — Dorchester County: James Island, 8.
Remarks. — Presnall (1958, pp. 48-49) listed sika deer as occurring
on Assateague Island, but incorrectly identified the deer from Dor-
chester County as hog deer (Axis porcinus) . As pointed out by Flyger
(1960a), not only are the Dorchester County animals Cervus nipjyon,
but very probably they derive from the same stock as the Assateague
Island populations.
In addition to Sika deer, Maryland supports small ix>pulations of
introduced fallow deer {Dama dama). Presnall (1958, p. 48) says that
a few animals remain from introductions in Worcester County (Mills
Island in Chincoteague Bay) between 1920 and 1930, and in Talbot
County between 1935 and 1945. Fallow deer are native to the Medi-
terranean region of southern Europe and western Asia, but have been
widely introduced in northern Europe and the United States, where
170 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
colonies exist in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and elsewhere. This
deer is about the size of a Maryland wliite-tailed deer, but with large
pahnate antlers which are dii'ected upward. In sununer pelage, the
coloration is fawn, with numerous white spots; in winter, a uniform
grayish (although melanism and albinism are not infrequent). Miller
(1912, pp. 971-972) gives external measurements of a European adult
male of this species as : Head and body length 1540; tail 190 ; hind foot
( with hoof) 435 ; ear from crown 165.
WHITE-TAILED DEER
Odocoileus virgitiianus borealis Miller
Odocoileus americanus borealis Miller, Bull. New York State Mus.
Nat. Hist., 8 : 83, 21 November 1900.
Type locality. — Bucksport. Hancock Coxinty. Maine-
General distribution. — "Western Ontario, east across southern Quebec, New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia; and from near James Bay (Xewjwrt, Abitibi
River), Gaspe Peninsula, and Anticosti Island south to southern Maryland,
southern Pennsylvania. Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois. Southern boundaries fixed
at Potomac and Ohio rivers and the western limits at the Missi^ippi and Red
Rivers." (Kellogg. 1956. p. 40).
Distribution in Maryland.— Xt one time the white-tailed deer was
nearly extirpated in Maryland. Today it is common in all sections of
the State, and is found in the wilder areas of every county.
Distiiiguishiriig characteristics. — Size large, larger than sika deer;
antlers heavy, and main beam directed forward, bearing the several
tines behmd ; upper parts of body colored reddish brown in summer
and grayish in winter, unspotted except in juveniles; underparts and
underside of tail white ; juvenile animals are reddish yellow and spotted
with white.
Measiireinejit. — Kellogg (1956, p. 40) gives external measurements
of the largest male of this subspecies that he examined as : Total length
2400; tail 365: hind foot 538; height at slioulder 1041. Two adult
males from Cumberland, Allegany County, have the following cranial
measurements: Condylobasal length , 261.8; width of orbit at
frontojugal suture 129.7, 120.9 ; least interorbital breadth 74.2 ; length
of maxillary tootlirow 71.8, 72.5. Females average smaller than males
m size.
Flyger (1958, p. 8) says that the average weight of 47 adult male
deer from western Maiyland was 127.5 pounds, and 17 from Worcester
County averaged 125.4 pounds, whereas 6 from the Aberdeen Proving
Grounds in Harford County averaged only 104.2 jwunds. "Wherever
the deer population becomes so great that a scarcity of food results,
the size and weight of the deer in that area become markedly reduced.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 171
This was the case with the Aberdeen herd, where at the time of Fly-
ger's study deer were over abundant.
Habitat and habits. — Deer are essentially animals of the ''edges,"
preferring burned- over areas and second-growth timber. They are
much less common in heavily forested sections because the dense fo-
liage discourages the growth of low forage on which the deer feed.
Since much of Maryland today consists of edge habitat, deer are
probably even more abundant in the State than they were before the
coming of the white man when most of the area was heavily wooded.
Even though much of Maryland was heavily forested in precolonial
and colonial days, white-tailed deer were apparently numerous and
supplied a good source of food for early settlers. According to Man-
sueti (1950, p. 13) there are countless references to the abundance of
deer in early letters and accounts of conditions of the l7th, 18th, and
19th centuries.
Although deer originally occurred in eveiy Maryland county, the
species was almost exterminated from about 1900 until the early 1930's.
This was due apparently to high hmiting pressure and other factors.
For example, Browning (1928) estimated that he killed between 1,800
and 2,000 deer during his hunting career in western Maryland, and
that by 1839 the deer in Garrett and Allegany counties were beginning
to become scarce. Other factors that were responsible for the decline
in the deer herds in Maryland include wild dog packs and forest fires,
both of which are known to have killed many individuals throughout
the State.
The population increase in recent years has resulted from stocking
and intelligent conservation, as well as from the increased "edge"
habitat in many areas of the State. Today, the white-tailed deer oc-
curs in all sections of Maryland, and in some places is overabundant.
Such an area is the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Hartford County,
Avhere according to Flyger (1958, p. 3) counting 100 or 200 deer in a
single morning's observation is not at all unusual, and where a distinct
browse line is evident in the woods. At the Proving Grounds, also,
there have been several instances of mass die-off in recent years, an
indication of overpopulation in a particular area. Flyger found that
the deer herd in Cecil County, on the other hand, is still rapidly grow-
ing and the range there is more imderstocked than in any other part
of the State.
The Maryland Conservationist (40(1), p. 15, Jan.-Feb., 1963) lists
the total deer kill in various Maryland counties for the 1962 season
as follows: Garrett 577, Allegany 699, Washington 344, Frederick
214, Carroll 114, Howard 12, Montgomery 2, Anne Arundel 5 Calvert
93, Prince Georges 12, Charles 208, St. Marys 33, Baltimore 95, Cecil
172 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
351, Harford 70, Kent 619, Queen Annes 124, Caroline 106, Talbot 180,
Dorchester 696, Somerset 192, Wicomico 161, Worcester 377. In addi-
tion to the above, 418 deer were killed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds
during the season. The Fish and Wildlife Service reports (Big Game
Inventory for 1967, Wildlife Leaflet 481, September 1968) an esti-
mated total of 75,000 deer in the State for 1967.
White-tailed deer are primarily nocturnal, but are often abroad dur-
ing daylight hours. With regard to feeding habits of this species in
Maryland and the availability of food within the State, Bitely (1963,
pp. 8-9) says:
Deer require a varied diet and if you've ever watched them feed, they'll
nibble here and there, take a twig of witch hazel, then red maple, some huckle-
berry and for dessert some greenbriar. . . . Whenever possible, they prefer
browse, such as greenbriar, maple leaf viburnum, blueberry, sassafras, black oak,
red maple and blackberry. After several winters of heavy browsing these species
begin to disappear and the deer are forced to shift to less nutritious food.
During the winter a deer requires from 6 to 8 pounds of dry browse each
day for body and heat maintenance. If the quality and quantity of food is in-
sufficient they become victims of diseases (especially pneumonia) and parasites.
Very few deer in this section of the United States ever actually starve to death ;
disease usually gets them first.
He says that surveys conducted in 1962 in western Maryland in-
dicated heavy browsing pressure on the preferred foods. For instance,
of the twigs within reach and available to deer, the following percent-
ages had been browsed : Maple-leaved viburnum, 53.9 ; blackberry, 43.8 ;
blueberry, 59.0; black birch, 38.8; black cherry, 14.3; dogwood 33.9;
greenbriar, 77.6 ; hazelnut, 24.1 ; red maple, 25.9 ; black oak, 44.4 ; sassa-
fras, 54.8. In the western three counties, an average of 29 percent of
the annual growth was browsed each year. By contrast, on the Eastern
Shore, only an average of 6.1 percent was taken. The statewide survey
disclosed that a total of 58 species of woody plants had been browsed
throughout Maryland.
The following life history notes on the white-tailed deer are ex-
tracted primarily from Severinghaus and Cheatum (1956, pp. 57-186).
It is generally agreed that social organization in this species is
limited to the family group, which usually consists of an older doe
with her fawns, sometimes including those of the previous year.
Leadership of the group appears to rest with the old doe. The oc-
casional antlered buck that may be seen with the family group is
usually the yearling offspring of the old doe. In the Northern States,
the breeding season begins in November and the young are bom in
May or June. Antlers begin to appear on the bucks in the summer.
They grow from a pedicle of the frontal bone and are covered with a
true skin (the velvet) during their growth. Antler growth is rapid.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 173
usually full size being achieved within 4 months or less. During the
period of antler growth, the buck is very careful of the sensitive
appendages, but after full size is reached, the velvet is scraped away,
and the polished antlers are used by the bucks in battles for mates.
The necks of the bucks also swell considerably during the mating sea-
son. After the mating season the antlers are shed, usually in January
or early February in Northern States, then the cycle continues.
Gestation period in this species varies from 189 and 222 days, with
the average being about 201 days. The usual number of young, for
older does, is two, occasionally three. A young doe, however, usually
gives birth to only a single offspring. The fawns are spotted, and re-
main in thickets where they blend perfectly with the dappled shadows
of the foliage. Both bucks and does generally achieve sexual maturity
at 18 months of age, although well-nourished doe fawns, at least in
northern areas, may breed at 6 to 8 months of age.
SpecvmeTis examined. — Allegany County: Cumberland, 3.
Other records and reports. — Wliite-tailed deer have been reported
from every county in Maryland.
Remarks. — The subspecies of white-tailed deer that originally in-
habited Maryland was Odocoileus v. borealis. By the turn of the
present century, however, the species was nearly extinct in Maryland,
as well as in most other eastern States. Widespread transplanting of
deer from areas in which they were still abundant reestablished east-
ern herds. Deer from many areas, and representing a number of sub-
species, were brought into Maryland, and consequently today it is
impossible to assign the State's deer to any specific subspecies. Accord-
ing to Hosley (1956, p. 228) : "One effect of the widespread trans-
planting of Lake States deer into the south and east and of other
similar moves has been to mix up thoroughly the races existing in
most of the deer range."
MARINE MAMMALS OF MARYLAND
The following list of marine mammals comprises only those that
have stranded on Maryland beaches, or have been observed in waters
off the Maryland coast and in Chesapeake Bay. The list does not in-
clude all the marine mammals that may occur in Maryland waters,
and many additional species will eventually be discovered. Some of
these unrecorded species have stranded on beaches to the north and
south of Maryland and must also pass through Maryland waters.
Only those, however, which have actually been reported from the
State will be discussed in any detail.
336-897 O — 69 -12
174 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Order PINNIPEDIA (pinnipeds)
Family PHOCIDAE (earless seals)
HARBOR SEAL
Phoca vitulina concolor De Kay
Phoca concolor De Kay, Zoology of New York . . . , Vol. 1, pt. 1
(Mammalia) , p. 53, 1842.
Type locality. — Long Island Sound, near Sands Point, Nassau County, N.Y.
General distribution. — Along the Atlantic coast of North America from
Ellesmere Island to South Carolina, but is rare in the northern and southern
portion of this range.
Description. — ^A small seal that averages in total length about 4
or 5 feet and weighs 75 to 150 pounds. The pelage is coarse and varies
from yellowish gray, spotted with dark brown to almost black, spotted
with yellowish. The spotted pelage and small size are distinctive char-
acters of this species.
Maryland records. — Harbor seals in Maryland waters are stragglers ;
they are not indigenous to the State. Mansueti (1950, pp. 28-29; 1955,
p. 2) summarizes Maryland records as follows: One specimen taken
in a seine in Chesapeake Bay near Elkton in August 1824; one animal
feeding around Thomas Pouch Lighthouse, near Annapolis, in March
1894 ; one animal killed in Tangier Sound on 8 July 1898 ; one specimen
sighted on 14 September 1898 on a beach above reach of heavy waves
at Ocean City, Worcester County ; several animals in Choptank River
near Tilghman Island in the early part of February 1925 ; one specimen
seen in Chesapeake Bay at Flag Pond in 1940; one animal sighted at
Ocean City, Worcester County, in May 1955.
In addition, there is a fragmentary skin and partial skeleton of a
harbor seal in the National collections ; the specimen was found on the
beach at Assateague Island, 3 miles south of Ocean City, Worcester
County, on 12 May 1959.
HOODED SEAL
Cystophora cristata (Erxleben)
IPhoca^ cristata Erxleben, Systema regni animalis . . . , 1 : 590, 1777.
Type locality. — Southern Greenland or Newfoundland.
General distribution. — North Atlantic coast from Greenland to Labrador.
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Gulf of St. Lawrence, south as an accidental to
Florida.
Description. — A large seal, with males ranging up to 10 feet in total
length and weighing up to 850 pounds. Females are smaller, averaging
about 8 feet in length and weighing up to 400 pounds. Coloration slate-
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 175
gray to blackish dorsally, with sides paler and spotted with white.
Males have a bladderlike protuberence on the nose which they can
inflate in times of anger or danger.
Maryland records. — One recorded in 1865 as taken near Cambridge,
Dorchester County, on an arm of the Chesapeake Bay, 18 miles from
salt water (Cope, 1865, p. 273) ; one animal killed at Worton Point,
near Chestertown, Kent County, about 1860 (Mansueti, 1950, p. 31).
It is possible that the seal from Tangier Sound previously listed as
Phoca vitulina corwolor may have been a hooded seal rather than a
harbor seal. The Baltimore Sun of 9 July 1898, which reported the
killing of the animal on 8 July 1898, said that it measured almost 6i/^
feet in length. If this measurement was accurate, the animal would fall
within the size range of the hooded seal rather than the harbor seal.
Order CETACEA (cetaceans)
The order Cetacea is divisible into two distinct suborders distin-
guished primarily by the presence of teeth, or baleen in the mouth.
Those that are toothed are classified as :
Suborder ODONTOCETI (toothed whales)
Toothed whales may have teeth in the lower jaws only, or in both
upper and lower jaws. In some forms more than 100 teeth are present,
while in others the teeth may be reduced to 2. Whales of this suborder
never possess baleen.
Family ZIPHIIDAE (beaked whales)
GOOSE-BEAKED WHALE
Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier
Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles . . . ,
ed. 2, 5 : 352, 1823.
Type locality. — Near Fos, Bouches-du-Rhone, France.
General distribution. — In the western North Atlantic, reported from Newi>ort,
Rhode Island, south to St. Simon Island, Ga.
Description. — A medium-sized whale, ranging up to 28 feet in length.
The body is thickset and has a strongly marked median keel extending
from the dorsal fin to the tail. The color pattern is extremely variable;
the back is usually a purplish black and the underparts white. Males
have a single tooth projecting an inch or more beyond the gum at the
end of each lower jaw.
Maryland records. — On 5 September 1959, a whale of this species was
sighted alive north of Fen wick Island, Del. It stranded that night at
176 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Maryland Beach, Worcester County. This is the only Maryland
record, although specimens have stranded at other localities to the
north and south of the State.
Family PHYSETERIDAE (sperm whales)
SPERM WHALE
Physeter catodon Linnaeus
'IPhyseter] ca^<?c?07i Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1 : 76, 1758.
Type locality. — Kairston, Orkney Islands, Scotland (by restriction, Thomas,
Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 157, 22 March 1911).
General distribution. — In western North Atlantic from Iceland and Davis
Straits, south to Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, Lesser Antilles, and coast of
Venezuela.
Description. — This species is the largest of the toothed whales, males
sometimes reaching a length of 60 feet or more. Females are consid-
erably smaller, generally under 40 feet in length. In coloration this
whale is a uniform gray or dark bluish gray. The narrow lower jaw
contains 20 to 30 heavy teeth. Usually no teeth are visible in the upper
jaws. There is no dorsal fin.
Maryland records. — Only one sperm whale is known to have
stranded on a Maryland beach. It came ashore at Greeil Run Inlet
(now closed) just north of the Maryland- Virginia boundary on
Assateague Island in December 1891. This specimen is preserved as a
skeleton in the U.S. National Museum.
At times, sperm whales are numerous off Ocean City. They attract
the attention of passing boats by their habit of raising their flukes clear
of the water when sounding.
PIGMY SPERM WHALE
Kogia breviceps (Blalnville)
Physeter hreviceps Blainville, Ann. d'Anat. et de Physiol., 2: 337,
1833.
Type locality. — Region of Cape of Good Hope, Republic of South Africa.
General distribution. — In western North Atlantic recorded from Halifax Har-
bor, Nova Scotia, south to Jupiter Inlet, Florida. This is a pelagic species that is
seldom found stranded on beaches.
Description. — A small edition of its larger relative the sperm whale,
the pigmy sperm whale ranges in length from 9 to 13 feet. In colora-
tion it is black above, white beneath. There are usually 14 or 15 small
needlelike teeth in each lower jaw ; no teeth visible in upper jaws. This
species, unlike the large sperm whale, possesses a small dorsal fin.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 177
Maryland records. — The pygmy sperm whale is known from Mary-
land by a live specimen that came ashore at Ocean City, Worcester
County, in August 1959. Vacationers at the beach repeatedly tried to
push the small whale back to sea. Eventually, during a high tide the
animal worked its way into deeper water where it struggled away.
The stranding of this whale is discussed in detail by Manville and
Shanahan (1961, pp. 269-270).
Family DELPHINIDAE (porpoises and dolphins)
ATLANTIC DOLPHIN
Delphinus delphis Linnaeus
[Delphiniis] delphis Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, 1 : 77, 1758.
Type locality. — European seas.
General distribution. — In western North Atlantic recorded from Iceland and
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, south to Bahama Islands and Jamaica.
Description. — This is a small Cetacean, reaching a length of about
8 feet. The animal possesses a slender "beak" about 6 inches long,
which is sharply marked off from the sloping forehead by a deep
V-shaped groove. The mouth contains many sharp pointed teeth that
interlock perfectly and are adapted for catching and holding the
fish upon which the dolphin preys. In coloration, this species is
blackish dorsally, including the dorsal surfaces of the flukes and
pectoral apendages. The sides shade in coloration to a grayish green,
mixed with eliptical bands of whitish on the flanks. The abdomen is
white and there is a whitish band over the forehead with a narrow
black band in the center that connects the black eye rings. Often there
is a black band from the snout to the leading edge of the pectoral fin.
Marlyamd records. — No records of strandings of this species are
available from Maryland, but Charles O. Handley, Jr., says (unpub-
lished manuscript) : "In September 1959, Mike Freeman of Washing-
ton, D.C., told me of having seen two kinds of porpoises in imusual
abundance off Ocean City, Md., and running the Ocean City Inlet into
Sinepuxent Bay. His descriptions indicated Tursiops truncatus and
Delphinus delphis.''''
This cetacean is probably one of the most abundant in Maryland
waters, but it prefers deeper waters off shore, and hence is less likely
to strand than several other less numerous species.
BOTTLE-NOSED PORPOISE
Tursiops truncatus (Montague)
Delphinus truncatus Montague, Mem. Wermerian Nat. Hist. Soc,
3 : 75, 1821.
178 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
Type locality. — Totness, Devonshire, England.
General distribution. — In the western North Atlantic recorded from Massa-
chusetts south to Florida.
Description. — Adults of this species reach a length of 11 or 12 feet,
and may be recognized by the purplish lead-gray coloration of the
upper parts, the short beak, seldom more than 3 inches long, and the
lower jaw, which is slightly longer than the upper. There are 20 to
26 teeth on each side in both jaws of the mouth.
Maryland records. — True (1890, p. 197) says that he has been
informed that this species ascends the Potomac River as far as Gly-
mont, a fishing station on the Maryland shore about 18 miles below
Washington, B.C.
On 27 and 28 July 1884, a porpoise, presumed to be of this species,
was observed in the Potomac River above the Aqueduct Bridge in
Washington, D.C. It was chased by boats and shot at repeatedly, but
not captured. The species has been seen at various times near Alex-
andria (unsigned note in The Pastime, 3(2), p. 14, August 1884).
In the Chesapeake Bay, Tursiops has been reported as far up as
Havre de Grace, Harford County (Maryland Tidewater News, 8,
p. 40, 1952).
Specimens in the National collections are from the following Mary-
land localities: Point Lookout, St. Mary's County; Queenstown
Creek, Queen Annes County ; and Scientist's Cliffs, Calvert County.
In addition, bottle-nosed porpoises are often seen off Ocean City,
Worcester County, and swimming in the Ocean City Inlet into Sine-
puxent Bay. This is probably the most abundant marine mammal in
Maryland waters.
Suborder MYSTICETI (baleen whales)
Whales of this suborder do not possess teeth. Instead, they are
equipped with whalebone, or baleen, which hangs down in the mouth
from either side of the upper jaws in long strips, with hairlike bristles
on the inner edges. The apparatus thus formed serves as a strainer.
In feeding, the baleen whales swim open-mouthed through swarms of
plankton; then closing the mouth, they press the tongue against the
baleen plates, squeezing out the water and leaving the plankton inside
the mouth to be swallowed.
Family BALAENOPTERIDAE (fin-backed whales)
LITTLE PIKED WHALE
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepede
Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepede, Histoire naturelle des Oetacee
. . . , p. 37, 1804.
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 179
Type locality. — European seas.
General distribution. — Adults of this species apparently winter in tropical or
warm temperate waters, and summer in cold temperate and boreal waters.
Young animals, however, may frequent warm or temperate waters during the
summer months. In the western North Atlantic, adults have been reported during
the summer from Iceland and Greenland south to New Jersey and the Delaware
River. There are records of this species in Florida waters during winter months,
(see Schwartz, 1962, pp. 206-209).
Description. — ^The little piked whale resembles a small fin-backed
whale in appearance, but is of somewhat stouter build. Adults reach
a length of about 30 feet. There are approximately 50 ventral grooves
in the throat region, and the baleen is entirely yellowish white in color.
The body is blue-gray on the back and white on the abdomen.
Maryland records. — ^This species has been recorded from Maryland
only once. On 12 July 1959, an immature female stranded at Dares
Beach, Calvert County, in Chesapeake Bay. Schwartz (1962) dis-
cusses this specimen and its stranding in detail.
FIN-BACKED WHALE
Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus)
\Balaena] physalus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, 1 : 75, 1758.
Type locality. — Spitzbergen Seas ( See Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1911,
pt. 1, p. 156, 22 March 1911) .
General distribution. — In western North Atlantic, from Iceland and Greenland
south to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Description. — This is a large baleen whale, the adults measuring be-
tween 50 and 65 feet in total length. The coloration is velvety black
except for a small ash-colored area at the tip of the lower jaws, a
cream-colored chin and throat and occasionally white or piebald under-
parts. The undersurface of the body in the region of the throat has
numerous longitudinal grooves. The dorsal fin is high and triangular,
usually with a concave posterior border. The baleen in this species ex-
hibits asymmetry in coloration, the blades on the right side being white
for more than a third of the distance from the tip of the snout and the
remainder on that side, and all of the left side, being colored a dull
blue-gray with streaks of white and yellow. This whale is known as the
greyhound of the ocean because of its slender build and great speed
in swimming.
Maryland records. — ^The type specimen of Sihhaldius tectirostris
Cope (a species now regarded as a synonym of Balaenoptera physalus)
washed ashore on the Maryland coast near Sinepuxent Inlet, Worces-
ter County, in the winter 1868-69. The skull of this specimen is now
in the U.S. National Museum collections.
180 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
There is a report in the Maryland Tidewater News (1953) that a
whale 60 feet in length was stranded at Ocean City, Worcester County,
in the spring of 1953 which probably was of this species.
Fin-backed whales are more numerous off the Maryland coast than
these two stranding records would indicate.
BLUE WHALE
Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus)
[BaZaena] musculiis Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, 1 : 76, 1758.
Type locality. — Firth of Forth, Scotland (see Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London,
1911, pt. 1, p. 156, 22 March 1911) .
General distribution. — ^In the western North Atlantic, from Iceland and Green-
land south to Panama.
Description. — ^This is the largest animal that ever lived, either on
land or in water. Adults sometimes reach lengths in excess of 100 feet,
the largest specimens usually being females. The color of this species
is slate blue over the whole body with the exception of the tip and
undersurface of the flippers, where pigmentation is absent. The blue
coloration may be modified by a pale mottling that is sometimes dif-
fused and sometimes concentrated in patches in different parts of the
body. There are between 80 and 100 ventral throat grooves and the
baleen in the mouth is jet black.
Maryland records. — ^This species is known from Maryland by a sin-
gle specimen that grounded near Crisfield, Somerset County, in the
summer of 1876. The skeleton of this juvenile individual, identified by
G. S. Miller, Jr., is now in the museum of the Natural History Society
of Maryland in Baltimore.
Remarks on Maryland Marine Mammals
The above list is composed only of species that have stranded or been
observed off the Maryland coast. Many other species undoubtedly pass
through Maryland waters and will someday be recorded for the State.
Some, such as the short-finned blackfish {Glohicepliala Trmcrorhyncha)
and the Atlantic blackfish {Glohicephala melaena) ., have stranded on
beaches only a few miles south of the Maryland State line. The follow-
ing is a list of species, presently unrecorded for the State, which prob-
ably occur at some time or other in Maryland waters :
Harp seal, Phoca groerdandica Erxleben.
Dense-beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris (Blainville) .
Gulf Stream beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais).
Northern beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus True.
Striped porpoise, Stenella coeruleoaTbus (Meyen) .
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 181
Atlantic killer whale, Grampus Orcinus (Linnaeus) .
Atlantic blackfishj GlobicefhoU^ nielaena (Traill) .
Short-finned blackfish, GloMcephala macrorJiyncha Gray.
Harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus).
Sei whale, Balaenoptera horecMs Lesson.
Hump-backed whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski) .
Right whale, Eubcdaena glacialis (Borowski) .
EXTIRPATED RECENT MAMMALS OF
MARYLAND
Mansueti (1950) has discussed in detail the extirpated Recent mam-
mals of the State. He lists six species that at one time occurred within
Maryland but have vanished since the coming of the white man. As
pointed out by Handley and Patton (1947, p. 78) :
Though it is regretable that man has had a hand in the extinction of these
creatures, he is not to be blamed too much, for the ascendency of one species and
the extinction of another is a regular process of nature which has been repeated
over and over again all down through the ages. Probably man did not have much
or anything to do with the disappearance of wild horses, mammoths, mastodons,
tapirs, wild pigs, ground sloths and camels which once roamed our lands, but
they are gone nevertheless. As surely as a species of animal comes into being,
it is destined to eventual extinction, whether by geologic catastrophies such as
volcanic eruptions or earthquakes ; or by great climatic changes involving vast
spreading glaciers or desert wastes, or by the hand of man. Our geologists have
given us proof of all this by the fossil record in the rocks.
The six species of extirpated Recent mammals of Maryland dis-
cussed by Mansueti ( 1950) are :
PORCUPINE
Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus)
This species apparently never was widely distributed in Maryland,
nor was it ever abundant. Mansueti cites records from Allegany
County ; Blue Ridge Mountains ; Frederick -Washington Counties ; and
EUicott City, Howard County (all of these prior to 1881). Rhoads
(1903, p. 115) cites porcupine records from Fulton and Somerset Coun-
ties, Pa., adjacent to Maryland on the north. The Cumberland (Mary-
land) Sunday Times for 9 August 1964 reported that recently a por-
cupine was shot on a farm at Rocky Gap, east of Cumberland. A pho-
tograph of this animal accompanied the news release. This may repre-
sent a valid state record, or the animal may have been brought to
Maryland from elsewhere. This same article in the Cumberland Sun-
day News reports that in 1912 a boy in Frostburg brouglit some quills
182 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
to school from a porcupine he found dead on Mount Savage, It also
says that during the fall of 1948 a hunter reported his dogs found a
porcupine on Martins Mountain for they returned to him with their
noses full of quills. He was not able, however, to locate the porcupine.
The foregoing serves to show that there are records and reports of the
porcupine in the western part of Maryland right up to the present
day. The general consensus of opinion, however, regarding the status
of this animal is that it is no longer a native inhibtant of the State.
GRAY WOLF
Canis lupus Linnaeus
The gray wolf originally inhabited the entire State of Maryland.
Not only are there documents and publications to show that they were
at one time statewide in distribution (see Mansueti, 1950, pp. 25-26),
but the early settlers used the name "wolf" to designate many places
throughout the State. The Gazeteer of Maryland (Maryland State
Planning Comm., and Dept. of Geology, Mines and Water Resources,
October 1941, p. 230) lists the following place names in Maryland
that give a good idea of where early colonists found wolves : Allegany
County: Wolf Gap, Wolf Rock ; Baltimore County : Wolf trap Branch ;
Caroline County: Wolf pit Branch; Carroll County: Wolfpit Branch;
Frederick County: Wolf Rock ; Garrett County : Wolf Den Run, Wolf
Gap, Wolf Swamp; Somerset County: Wolf Trap Creek. Mansueti
(1950, p. 25) says that they even abounded on Assateague Island in
Worcester County.
All evidence seems to indicate that the gray wolf Avas exterminated
in Maryland at a very early date, except for those in more inaccessible
parts of western mountains. Here the species probably persisted until
late in the 19th century, and perhaps even to the early part of the
present century.
MARTEN
Martes americana (Turton)
The marten was exterminated in Maryland as far back as 85 years
ago. It apparently was not widespread in distribution, and never
abundant. Heavy trapping pressure and destruction of suitable forest
habitat appear to account for its demise. It was probably most abun-
dant in the western part of the State, but there are reports from the
District of Columbia and perhaps St. Marys County (see Mansueti,
1950, p. 23).
MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 183
MOUNTAIN LION
Felis concolor Linnaeus
This species at one time occurred throughout the State, wherever
there were white-tailed deer, which served as it principal food. The
mountain lion was hunted with relentless energy by settlers and at very
early date was exterminated from all but the wildest portions of the
western part of the State. The date when the last mountain lion was
killed in Maryland is not known, but it was probably sometime toward
the end of the 19th century. In the 18th century, the species appears
to have been abundant in the mountains of Maryland. Meshach Brown-
ing (1928) estimated that he killed more than 50 of them during his
active period as a hunter in Garrett County from 1790 to 1836. There
is no question that today, however, the species is extinct in Maryland
despite the fact that from time to time there are reports of them in
some of the more remote portions of the State. None of these recent re-
ports of mountain lions in Maryland have ever been verified, and it
seems that the species has been extirpated in the entire Eastern United
States, with the exception of Florida where a few still persist in the
swamps and hammocks in the Everglades.
WAPITI OR ELK
Cervus canadensis (Erxleben)
This species was at one time statewide in distribution. Mansueti
(1950, pp. 11-12) lists a number of early references to it, not only from
the mountains of the west, but also in the Tidewater. Its former oc-
currence within the State is attested to by the number of places that
bear the name "elk." Thus, there is an Elklick Run in Anne Arundel
County, Elklick Run in Garrett County, Elk Mills, Elk Neck, Elk
River, and Elkton in Cecil County, Elk Mountain and Elkridge in
Washington County, Elkridge in Harford County, Elkridge in How-
ard County, and Elkridge in Baltimore County. The last of Mary-
land's wapiti were apparently exterminated long before the middle
of the 19th century. McAtee (1918, p. 52) places the date of their
extirpation in Virginia as 1844.
BISON
Bison bison (Linnaeus)
According to Mansueti (1950, p. 10) the distribution of bison in
Maryland and the District of Columbia must have been above the fall
line. The bison thus was an inhabitant of the Piedmont, Ridge and
Valley, and Allegheny Mountain sections of the State. When the first
settlers arrived, however, the species was already becoming scarce, and
184 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66
these settlers hastened its demise, exterminating the bison in Maryland
by 1775. The Glades Star (publication of the Garrett County Histori-
cal Society) for 1943, says that around 1774 one of the Ashbys (early
settlers in the Glades of Garrett County) and a neighbor were search-
ing for the neighbor's cows one day in early winter. They followed
the tracks of some animals in the light snow until they came to what
is now the J. J. Ashby farm, when Ashby saw a bunch of wooly hair
on a snag. Following the trail still farther to the hill southeast of the
present town of Grellin, they spotted 4 bison. They shot the bulls
and the cows escaped westward. These were the last seen in the Glades,
and probably the last of Maryland's bison herd.
The former occurrence of the bison is still indicated by such place
names as: Buffalo Road (Carroll and Frederick Counties) ; Buffalo
Run, Little Buffalo Run, and Buffalo Marsh (Garrett County).
Mansueti (1950) lists 2 additional species (fisher, Maries pennanti;
and Canada lynx. Lynx canadensis) that may have occurred in Mary-
land in the past but are not presently a part of the fauna of the State.
There is no good evidence, however, that either of these species ever
ranged as far south as Maryland.
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o
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